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Continuing Affordability Initiatives that Started Prior to 2008-09

• Eliminating Tuition and Replacing Loans with Grants
  
  
• Tuition Guarantees
  
  
• Student Aid Matches
  
  
• Eliminating Loan Interest
  
  
• Partnerships with Community Colleges and High Schools
  
  
• Accelerated Degree Programs
  
  
• Four-Year Graduation Guarantees
  
  
• Job Guarantees
  
  

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Eliminating Tuition and Replacing Loans with Grants

Over the past decade, private institutions have made themselves more accessible and affordable to students of modest means through unprecedented investments in their institutional grant programs.  They have retooled institutional needs analysis formulas to reduce expected student and family contributions, lowered work expectations, and replaced loans with grants. Several others, including "work colleges," have a long history of providing free tuition to all or most students.

Alice Lloyd College (Pippa Passes, KY)

Every full-time student is required to work as a part of his or her overall educational experience, helping to significantly defray the cost of attendance.  Alice Lloyd guarantees to pay the tuition for students residing in 108 central Appalachian counties in parts of five states. 

Baylor University (Waco, TX)

Baylor has increased grant aid and the percent of the need covered by institutional scholarships, and reduced student loan expectations.

Berea College (Berea, KY)

Every student admitted to Berea is awarded the equivalent of a four-year, full tuition scholarship, a policy implemented in 1892.  All students are required to work at least 10 hours a week in campus and service jobs.

College of the Ozarks (Point Lookout, MO)

No full time student at the college of the pays tuition.  Students work 15 hours a week during the regular school year, plus two 40-hour weeks during holiday periods, to help offset the cost of providing their education.

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (New York, NY)

The college awards full scholarships to all enrolled students.

Davidson College (Davidson, NC)

Beginning in 2007-08, Davidson will eliminate loans from financial aid packages. Students will have their demonstrated financial need funded entirely through grants and student employment, and graduate debt-free.  The policy applies to both incoming and upper class students.  In 2006-07, Davidson capped student loans at $3,000 per year, increasing grants by whatever amount it reduced loans.

Deep Springs College (Deep Springs, CA)

Each student attends for two years and receives a full scholarship valued at over $50,000 per year.  Students work at least 20 hours a week on the campus and accompanying ranch.

Emory University (Atlanta, GA)

Beginning in 2007-08, Emory will replace need-based loans with grants for students whose parents earn $50,000 or less.  Students whose families earn between $50,001 and $100,000 won’t have to take out more than $15,000 in loans over a four-year period.

John Carroll University (University Heights, OH)

John Carroll makes it possible for families making under $40,000 to enroll their incoming freshman tuition-free, effective for the 2007-08 academic year.  Once federal and state aid eligibility is determined, John Carroll scholarship and grant aid will be awarded to cover the remainder of the cost, up to full tuition and fees.

Olin College of Engineering (Needham, MA)

All admitted students who enroll at Olin receive a scholarship covering tuition during the eight semesters of the baccalaureate program. This scholarship is currently valued at approximately $140,000.

Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)

Since 2001, Princeton has replaced loans with grants for all undergraduates receiving financial aid.  The move followed a decision made in 1998 to replace loans with grants for low-income students.  Princeton has also reduced the summer earnings expectation for financial-aid students and the amount that students are expected to contribute from their own savings.  The university lowered expected parental contributions by removing home equity from consideration (or giving an equivalent renter's allowance to those who don't own homes, but have other investments).  As a result of these improvements, the portion of tuition covered by the average grant for a freshman aid student rose from 65 percent in 1997, to 96 percent in 2008.

Tufts University (Medford/Somerville, MA)

Starting with the class of 2011 (students who enrolled in fall 2007), Tufts is replacing loans with scholarships for all undergraduates whose annual family income is below $40,000.

University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)

The university provides full scholarships for students whose family incomes are less than $60,000. Students whose family incomes are less than $75,000 have had about half their loans replaced with grants.

Tuition Guarantees

A growing number of private institutions offer four- or five-year tuition guarantees to freshmen. Tuition will not increase for the years they are enrolled.  These programs give families peace of mind that their tuition won’t increase by unexpected amounts, and allow them to more easily budget.  These colleges and universities include, but aren’t limited to, the following.

Baylor University (Waco, TX)

Capitol College (Laurel, MD)

Concordia University (River Forest, IL)

George Washington University (Washington, DC)

Hardin-Simmons University (Abilene, TX)

Hiram College (Hiram, OH)

Hiwassee College (Madisonville, TN)

Northwestern College (Orange City, IA)

Ouachita Baptist University (Arkadelphia, AR)

University of Charleston (Charleston, WV)

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Student Aid Matches

Student aid matches help enhance affordability and minimize the affect of sticker price on a student’s college choice.  As a result, more students have the opportunity to attend the institution that best serves their academic needs.

Gannon University (Erie, PA)

Gannon matches the state grants of eligible students from New York and Ohio.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)

Since 2006-07, MIT has matched students' Pell Grants, up to their maximum amount.  

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Eliminating Loan Interest

Centenary College of Louisiana (Shreveport, LA)

Centenary offers the Centenary Affordability Program, which is open to all parents who qualify for a federal PLUS loan. For the four years their child is enrolled at Centenary, the college will pay the interest on annual loans of up to $15,000. A fixed rate payment option and four years of interest-free borrowing result in fast principal reduction.  

Schreiner University (Kerrville, TX)

Schreiner pays the interest on federal Plus loans taken out by parents.

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Partnerships with Community Colleges and High Schools

Private institutions are giving community college and high school students opportunities to earn credits at reduced prices and to “test the waters” before enrolling.  Many institutions partner with local two-year colleges to offer joint degree programs that lower overall costs for students.

Benedictine University (Lisle, IL)

Students with an associate’s degree from a local community college are able to earn a bachelor’s degree from Benedictine through an on-site program at the two-year institution.  Tuition is half what the students would pay if they enrolled as adult nursing students at Benedictine.  The university is exploring similar partnerships with two other community colleges.

College of Notre Dame of Maryland (Baltimore, MD)

The College of Notre Dame of Maryland offers a 3.2 Guarantee Scholarship of at least $7,000 to community college graduates who enter with a 3.2 GPA.  It also has nine articulation agreements with Maryland community colleges, to make access to a four-year college seamless.

Gannon University (Erie, PA)

Gannon has dual enrollment programs with local and regional high schools where qualified high school students can take college courses and earn college credit while they are still in high school. 

Hiwassee College (Madisonville, TN)

Hiwassee, a two-year institution, provides dual enrollment courses for high school juniors and seniors in surrounding counties.  The program essentially provides collegiate course work for students with no out-of-pocket expense.

Lyon College (Batesville, AR)

Students at two nearby community colleges may take one course a semester at Lyon while paying their community college’s rate, allowing them to test the waters before transferring.  In addition, Lyon students may take a course each semester at these institutions, allowing Lyon to save the cost of creating courses that are already locally available and meet the college’s academic standard. 

Schreiner University (Kerrville, TX)

Schreiner provides at no cost to qualified area high school seniors access to one course to promote higher education as an option.  Students have an opportunity to explore the college classroom before committing to enroll, helping to ensure that their tuition dollars are well spent.

Walsh College (Troy, MI)

Walsh gives students the opportunity to complete three degrees—associate’s, bachelor’s, and MBA—within a total of five years.  The program offers a seamless transfer from a business degree at two local community colleges into the bachelor’s and then master’s business programs at Walsh.  This shortens total degree completion time by as much as one year, with 87 hours offered at community college rates. 

Accelerated Degree Programs

Private institutions nationwide offer accelerated degree programs.  These programs get students out into the workforce earning a salary earlier, and saving on their tuition, room, and board costs. 

Adelphi University (Garden City, NY)

Working in conjunction with three private and public colleges, Adelphi offers a five-year combined bachelor's and master's teachers program, as well as accelerated joint-degree programs combining undergraduate liberal arts with professional studies (dentistry, engineering, environmental studies, law, optometry, and physical therapy).

Albertus Magnus College (New Haven, CT)

Albertus Magnus offers both undergraduate and graduate accelerated programs.  Tuition for these programs is approximately half of tuition for traditional day programs. 

College of Notre Dame of Maryland (Baltimore, MD)

The College of Notre Dame of Maryland offers Accelerated College, with programs in business, nursing and elementary education, for working women and men. Once a student enters an Accelerated College cohort, tuition remains the same for that cohort until graduation.

Gannon University (Erie, PA)

Working in conjunction with three other institutions, Gannon offers accelerated joint-degree programs in law, pharmacy, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, physical therapy, and other fields.

Hiram College (Hiram, OH)

In 2006, Hiram added an accelerated biomedical humanities program, which prepares students to take the MCAT or GRE exams at the end of their second year, and to enter medical school or graduate school after three years.

Judson College (Marion, AL)

Judson allows students to graduate with a bachelor's degree in two years, ten months, saving time and money. 

Manchester College (North Manchester, IN)

The Fast Forward program gives students the opportunity to earn a bachelors degree in just three years. Students take the same number of courses as four-year students, but with a more aggressive fall and spring schedule, January session, two summer sessions, and online classes.  Fast Forward allows students to save as much as $25,000 in tuition, fees, and room and board.

Mount St. Mary's University (Emmitsburg, MD)

Mount St. Mary's offers accelerated undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including several for returning adult students.  Tuition for the undergraduate accelerated program is less than half that of the traditional program. 

Nichols College (Dudley, MA)

Nichols offers an accelerated joint bachelor’s and master’s of business administration program in on-site and online formats, both of which cost less than the traditional programs.

Peirce College (Philadelphia, PA)

Peirce allows adult learners to earn an associate degree in half the usual time.

Saint Joseph College (West Hartford, CT)

Saint Joseph offers seamless undergraduate/graduate degree programs that allow students to earn baccalaureate and master's degrees in five years in biology, chemistry, and psychology/counseling.  The college also offers an accelerated degree program in nursing.  

Seattle University (Seattle, WA)

Matteo Ricci College at Seattle University is the three-year university phase of a program that integrates high school and university level studies.  It allows students to complete their high school and university education in six or seven years, rather than the traditional eight. 

Waldorf College (Forest City, IA)

Waldorf offers all of its bachelor's degree programs in a three-year format.

Four-Year Graduation Guarantees

These guarantees ensure that students at private colleges and universities graduate in four years.  Students avoid an additional year of tuition payments and enter the workforce sooner than most of their peers at public universities.  Institutions that fail to deliver for students who follow university guidelines and stays on track, will provide the remaining classes at no cost.

Augsburg College (Minneapolis, MN)

Centre College (Danville, KY)

DePauw University (Greencastle, IN)

Doane College (Crete, NE)

Dominican University of California (San Rafael, CA)

Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA)

Milwaukee School of Engineering (Milwaukee, WI)

Muskingum College (New Concord, OH)

Pace University (New York, NY)

Regis University (Denver, CO)

University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA)

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Job Guarantees

Job guarantees for new graduates keep institutions accountable for the quality of education provided, and assure students that their financial investment is worthwhile.

Misericordia University (Dallas, PA)

College Misericordia offers a guaranteed placement program that ensures graduates of a paid internship in their fields if, six months after graduation, they do not have a job in their fields or have not been admitted to graduate school.

Manchester College (North Manchester, IN) 

Students who have not secured a job within six months of graduation may take additional undergraduate courses free of charge for one year to help prepare for employment. 

Milwaukee School of Engineering (Milwaukee, WI)

Undergraduate course may be repeated at no cost within three years of graduation if the graduate or his/her employer believes job performance will be enhanced. 

Newbury College (Brookline, MA)

Students who graduate with a bachelor's degree and at least a 3.0 grade point average, may take up to 10 courses at Newbury free of charge, if they are not employed after six months.

Robert Morris College (Chicago, IL)

The 180-Day Guarantee offers associate degree students additional free education if they are unemployed within 180 days of graduation.