Cost of College: How to Pay

Lauren Impallaria

College is expensive, and with a national average of college students graduating with $30,000 dollars in debt (the class of 2014 is officially the most indebted ever); most students aren’t exactly excited or equipped to shell out this type of cash.

With Germany renouncing college tuition and officially making college free last week, and Hilary Clinton recently giving a speech on making higher education more affordable, the world seems to be on the edge of education debate. With the rising price of college tuition, many Americans are looking for more cost effective college options.  More and more options are available to attend college for cheaper prices in the US. There are even seven colleges that offer free tuition in the United States.

Berea College and Alice Lloyd College, both located in Kentucky, give students free tuition as long as students complete a minimum of 10 hours per week in a work-study program in exchange for free tuition. At Berea room, board, and books are not covered by the work hours. Alice Lloyd students who need additional financial aid to pay for room and board may work up to 15 hours per week. The full-tuition scholarships are valued at more than $90,000.

Another college where students pay no tuition thanks to college work-study programs is College of the Ozarks. Students work at least 15 hours a week at a campus work station. Students are graded on work performance as well as academic performance. Ozarks is also well known for the NFL talent that their college football program produces.

If you are a male and you are interested in receiving free tuition, room, and board, you should consider Deep Springs College in California. As long as you are willing to work at least 20 hours a week on the ranch the college is on. The college is very isolated and students are forbidden to leave during the semester. Most students finish their degrees at prestigious four-year schools after leaving Deep Springs.

Music students can find sanctity in Philadelphia at the Curtis Institute of Music where the school of 160 students receive free tuition. Curtis’s competition Julliard costs about $60,000 a year for room and board and tuition. Curtis students are also lent Steinway grand pianos. Many students go on to become successful musicians.