Is There Such a Thing as Free College?

With so many news stories about the rising cost of getting a college degree, some families may be wondering how to afford such an investment and if it’s worth the cost.  Students may choose to consider unique funding approaches to achieve the goal of continuing their education.  

One less traditional approach to acquiring new knowledge is by taking free online courses known as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). Many different colleges and organizations offer these types of online courses, which are free (aside from the investment of time) but students can choose to pay for a certificate upon completion.

There are also many states which have programs offering free or significantly-reduced college tuition for students who meet certain criteria. Over 30 states have programs for tuition-free community college but the eligibility requirements vary so students must research the specifics of their own state.  Some states also have free-tuition programs at designated four year campuses for in-state residents who meet the criteria (including income caps). Finally, there are also colleges and universities that pledge  to meet the full financial need for admitted students, by providing the difference between the FAFSA expected family contribution and the institution’s cost of attendance, offering funding in loans or grants.

As you can see, many organizations are focused on helping students with demonstrated financial need to make college education more affordable.  Another option that is available to all students is pursuing scholarships (including athletic and merit) that are not based on financial information.  Options for reducing overall costs for all students include living at home and commuting to classes, working while attending college to earn money to fund it, and choosing to attend an institution with lower tuition (often a public state option which is supported by taxpayer dollars).

An additional approach would be to get a job with a company that pays for a college education which students could pursue part-time while working. There are a wide variety of companies which have the employee benefit of college tuition reimbursement: UPS, Chipotle, Walmart, U.S. Military, Amazon, Target, and many others. Some colleges offer their own employees (and dependents) free tuition as a benefit.

The costs of college can add up with fees, books, technology, and transportation, in addition to the tuition, but for those students willing to do some creative research there are funding options to be uncovered!

There are a lot of considerations for students and families looking into college options, and investigating unique offerings can be very helpful.  At Confident College Planning we work to take the stress out of the college selection process by helping clients with a planful approach to researching institutions, writing essays, completing applications, understanding funding options, and successfully transitioning from high school to college.  If you have questions or would like to discuss the support I can provide, please email me at nancy@confidentcollegeplanning.com because I would be happy to help!

Photo credits: 

New York has the Excelsior Program which provides free tuition for students who attend community colleges (such as Schenectady County Community College and Mohawk Valley Community College, pictured) and SUNY and CUNY colleges. Eligible students must meet income limits and agree to live and work in NY for the same number of years they receive the award.

The Wisconsin Tuition Promise strives to ensure that underserved Wisconsin students who meet eligibility guidelines can attend any UW university without paying tuition or fees. UW Stevens Point (pictured) offers over 100 program options on three campuses in Central Wisconsin.

When I visited Colorado Mountain College (pictured) last fall they already had the Colorado Mountain Promise program which covered the tuition costs for eligible students. And just this summer, Colorado passed a new bill which creates a refundable state income tax credit to cover tuition for eligible students enrolled at a public state college or university, community college, area technical school or occupational education school.

The North Carolina Promise Program significantly reduced student tuition cost for all in-state students to $500 per semester at four UNC System institutions: Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (pictured), and Western Carolina University (pictured).  Additionally the Next NC Scholarship program helps eligible students by fully covering tuition and fees at any community college.

Skidmore College, Wake Forest University, University of Rochester, and Vassar College are all examples of the institutions pledging to meet full financial need. 

(These are just a few of the offerings available at this time that my research uncovered.)