Life Lessons
July 10, 2009
Filed under People and Places
Growing up on a farm in rural Ohio, Jared Rowley would daydream about city life and one day going to college. It was a dream not shared by his parents. So after high school graduation, Jared was on his own. He made his way to Ohio University, but college life was far from what he imagined it would be.
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There were no freshman dorm hijinks, not when you had to live in your car. Going to school full-time while working two part-time jobs started taking its toll on Jared’s body and spirit. He could barely scrape by and was steadily going deeper into debt. By the time winter rolled around he felt his dream of earning a degree slipping away.
Until he heard about Berea College from an old friend. A small liberal arts school in Kentucky, Berea does not charge its students tuition. An endowment that topped $1 billion before the recent recession began enables the college to continue its mission of providing a higher education to economically disadvantaged students, primarily from the Appalachia region.
There is a sliding-scale fee for room, board, and books which asks students to pay what they can depending on their families’ declared income (this is required by federal law). Berea students are expected to work 10 to 15 hours a week for the college, a portion paid towards education costs and the rest received by the student as a salary.
Jared graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Science in accounting & finance with a minor in economics. There is a job waiting for him in Boston. But first, he is working as the student representative on the planning task force charged with making recommendations on how Berea can survive the economic downturn and set itself up for generations to come.
It is a role Jared takes seriously because it is a way to give back to the place that has helped make his dream a reality.
“Berea saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.”
As a Berea College graduate, I can tell you that the details of the Berea College financial situation have been glossed over considerably here.
If you are a person who has been declared independent of your parents or any outside financial income, Berea College is probably the place for you. If you parents lie on their taxes, work cash-only or generally get their money in a way that the government and college do not know of it, then Berea College is probably for you.
Just be sure to save all of your $3.25 an hour from your labor position for next year’s tuition–your “room and board” fees are hiked in your second, third and fourth years.
And be aware that you’re not allowed to have a second job off-campus to earn money during the school year.
As a Berea College graduate, I can tell you that I paid $0 on my tuition and for that I am grateful! It is fact that not a single Berea student pays tuition.
Berea College charges Room, Board, and Fees which is mandated by the Federal Government. The College would be breaking the law otherwise.
After working at Berea for over a year, I have seen the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure the education funding for all 1500 students.
Nothing but gratitude for Berea…
I paid $4 in room and board for my first semester, then $8 for my second.
I paid $1,450 for my third semester and fourth,
$2,200 for my fifth and sixth
$2,800 for my seventh and eighth.
Nothing changed in my parents’ finances.
I wasn’t eligible for student loans, according to Berea, because my parents were able to scrap together a check to pay for my third semester’s room and board. Which means that SURELY they could do it every single semester thereafter.
I’m grateful for Berea. I just wish it were FAR more upfront.
Moi: Berea College does not actually say your tuition is completely paid for. That is a huge misconception, and anyone who does research on their website will find that information very easily. They cannot legally pay your entire tuition because of the way the government FAFSA program works- you have to pay the EFC, or expected family contribution.
This is simply a shout out to Jared, but I would just like to say that I am proud of you man. As your roomate in our first year at Berea, I witnessed you staying up late nights, guzzling coffee, and working at food service, but I am glad to see that it is all paying off. You are a very intelligent person and your commitment to your studies inspired me to do my best my first year, and thankfuly, that has stayed with me even up to my last semester here. You deserve every achievement that you recieve. Keep God first and I am sure you will accomplish your dreams. You will be in my prayers.