The Money Coach
  • About
    • Meet Lynnette
    • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Submit an Article
  • Books
  • Categories
  • Coaching
  • Book Lynnette
  • Money Coach University™
No Result
View All Result
The Money Coach
  • About
    • Meet Lynnette
    • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Submit an Article
No Result
View All Result
The Money Coach
No Result
View All Result

Work Colleges Help Students Avoid Loans

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach
in Paying for College
Reading Time: 3 mins read
list of work colleges
9
SHARES
156
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

There are seven federally recognized “work colleges” in America where students can earn while they learn.

If you get into one of these colleges, you’ll be happy that your tuition is either free or very low compared to the vast majority of U.S. colleges and universities, where total annual costs can top $50,000 annually.

Work colleges have been around for over 150 years. But they’re growing even more popular as students grapple with rising tuition and other exploding higher education expenses.

List of Work Colleges

In my book, College Secrets, I describe the seven work colleges that most U.S. students (and their parents) have never heard of, but should definitely be familiar with: Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, KY; Berea College in Berea, KY; Blackburn College in Carlinville, IL; College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, MO; Ecclesia College in Springdale, Arkansas, Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, VT; and Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC.

A few highlights of some of these work colleges:

Alice Lloyd, Berea, and College of the Ozarks don’t charge students tuition. The other work colleges offer low-to-moderately priced tuition and other financial aid.

All students at Alice Lloyd College are required to work at least 10 hours per week in exchange for free tuition. If students need additional aid to cover room and board, they can work up to 20 hours per week. Jobs are assigned based on a student’s own preferences and prior work experience.

Full Tuition Scholarships Offered

College of the Ozarks requires students to work 15 hours a week plus two 40-hour workweeks during the year. The school provides all students with full-tuition scholarships and grants.

Each year, College of the Ozarks receives about 4,000 applications and admits roughly 300 to 350 students for the fall term. The school also routinely has a waiting list of students vying to be accepted. Applicants are chosen on the basis of financial need, academics, leadership, and service.

While 71% of all U.S. college grads wind up with debt, only half of those who attend work colleges have student debt upon graduation. And when they do, it’s usually about one-third to one-half of what their peers at other institutions have.

That’s a huge gap and one that makes work colleges particularly attractive, given that the typical college grad in the U.S. now comes out of school with $33,000 in student loans.

According to the Work Colleges Consortium, school programs vary from campus to campus.

But they all have several things in common. For starters, work colleges mandate that in exchange for free or reduced tuition, students must engage in labor activity, usually between 10 and 15 hours of work per week.

These programs also teach students the importance of service, as well as leadership skills and the ability to juggle multiple priorities, such as school and work.

‘Work Levels the Playing Field’

“No students can buy their way out of the work program. That is not an option. So the work levels the playing field,” says Robin Taffler, Executive Director of the Work Colleges Consortium.

According to Taffler, students at work colleges run all the schools’ institutional functions.

“Students do gardening on school grounds, they run the IT desk, handle electrical work and plumbing repairs, and they even build all the buildings at the College of the Ozarks,” Taffler said, in an interview for College Secrets.

“They’re trained firefighters,” she adds. “They do billing and accounts payable. They work in the President’s office. They do research and organize events. At Berea College, students manage the forests, they take care of livestock and work in the cafeteria and manage food services. Students at work colleges literally do everything.”

Because work itself is core to the schools’ philosophy, it is also integrated into the academic structure. There are Deans of Work, students get evaluated on their work, and students can even be kicked out of work colleges if their work is not up to snuff.

“It’s very different from federal work study, which is an optional, need-based program,” Taffler notes.

“At Work Colleges, 100% of our students work for all 4 years. They graduate with real work experience,” Taffler says. “They are sought-after by employers because they know how to show up for work, they have basic workplace skills, as well as more advanced, sophisticated skills in various areas.”

There are more than 2,500 non-profit four-year institutions of higher learning in America.

The seven schools in the Work Colleges Consortium may not have the name recognition of schools such as Stanford, MIT or Princeton. But employers love work college graduates nonetheless.

So for ambitious students with a good work ethic, as well as those who’d like to gain practical experience while in school, work colleges offer a valuable, affordable educational option – as well as a solid platform for launching one’s career.

Tags: work colleges
Previous Post

7 Good Reasons to Quit Your Job

Next Post

Tuition Discounts for Legacy Students and More

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach, is a renowned financial expert, author, speaker, and media personality, empowering people to achieve financial success.

Related Posts

desola-lanre-ologun-IgUR1iX0mqM-unsplash

40 Scholarships for African American Students

by AskTheMoneyCoach

Getting a college education is often a crucial way to break the cycle of poverty and create opportunities for personal and professional growth. Unfortunately, systemic inequality and historical barriers have made it difficult for some communities to access higher education, including African Americans. However, there are organizations and institutions dedicated...

Mini graduation mortar board cap on money -- education cost or scholarship concept

How to Apply for a Pell Grant and Get Money for College

by AskTheMoneyCoach

Are you worried about how you're going to pay for college? A Pell Grant can be a great way to get money for school, and it doesn't have to be paid back. In this article, we'll show you how to apply for a Pell Grant and maximize your eligibility to...

Happy Asian Young Businesswoman or University Student reading documents reports papers, entrepreneur working on line typing laptop at office computer room,smile writing notes in paperwork at desk busy

How to Find a Reputable College Essay Writing Service

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach

In today's fast-paced academic environment, college students are increasingly turning to professional essay-writing services to help them complete their coursework. With so many options available, finding a reputable company that will provide high-quality work at an affordable price can be challenging.  In this article, we share tips on how to...

Cropped image of school student writing essay in notebook

Pros and Cons of Using College Essay Writing Services

by AskTheMoneyCoach

College essay writing services are companies that assist students in completing their written academic assignments. These companies employ a team of professional writers with experience writing various types of academic papers, such as essays, research papers, and dissertations. In addition, they provide students with customized writing services according to their...

Modern apartment buildings on a sunny day with a blue sky. Facade of a modern apartment building. New apartment building

Five Tips for Renting Good Value Apartments Near Colleges

by AskTheMoneyCoach

If you or your child attends a college or university – or will be going off to college soon – you’ll face a big decision about where to spend those years on campus.  Specifically, does the student prefer to live in campus housing, like dorms, or do they want the...

Scholarship graduation cap on money with magnifying glass money for college

Where to Find Money for College

by AskTheMoneyCoach

College is a time of growth, learning, and discovery. But it can also be expensive. Fortunately, many resources are available to help students find money for college. In this article, we'll explore ten companies and resources that can help students finance their education. Federal Student Aid - Federal Student Aid...

Portrait of young African-American graphic designer looking and smiling at camera while sitting at desk in office

10 Ways High School Students Can Earn Money

by AskTheMoneyCoach

As a high school student, you may be looking for ways to make money to pay for your expenses or save up for the future. Fortunately, plenty of opportunities are available to earn extra cash. Here are ten ways for high school students to make money. Babysitting: Babysitting is an...

Load More

Popular Posts

  • Car repair

    What to Do If You Can’t Afford a Car Repair Bill

    1530 shares
    Share 612 Tweet 383
  • What to Do if Your Spouse Stole Money From You

    1312 shares
    Share 525 Tweet 328
  • What to Do If You Can’t Afford to Leave Your Spouse

    1278 shares
    Share 511 Tweet 320
  • Here’s Why I Pay My Kids For Good Grades (And Maybe You Should Too)

    1132 shares
    Share 452 Tweet 283
  • What Do All Those Strange Codes In My Credit Report Mean?

    902 shares
    Share 361 Tweet 226
  • Which Credit Report is More Important: Equifax, Experian or TransUnion?

    871 shares
    Share 348 Tweet 218
  • Do This Now If Your Wages Were Not Reported

    855 shares
    Share 342 Tweet 214

Categories

  • Bankruptcy
  • Budgeting
  • Building Wealth
  • Careers
  • Couples and Money
  • Coupons and Deals
  • Covid-19
  • Covid-19 Video
  • Credit Cards
  • Credit Reports
  • Credit Scores
  • Crypto
  • Debt
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Family Finances
  • Featured
  • Identity Theft
  • Insurance
  • Investing
  • Loans
  • Paying for College
  • Personal Finance
  • Press Releases
  • Real Estate
  • Retirement
  • Saving Money
  • Scams
  • Student Loans
  • Taxes
  • Uncategorized

All information on this blog is for educational purposes only. Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach, is not a certified financial planner, registered investment adviser, or attorney. If you need specialty financial, investment or legal advice, please consult the appropriate professional. Advertising Disclosure: This site may accept advertising, affiliate payments or other forms of compensation from companies mentioned in articles. This compensation may impact how and where products and companies appear on this site. AskTheMoneyCoach™ and Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach® are trademarks of TheMoneyCoach.net, LLC.

©2009-2023 TheMoneyCoach.net, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

RSS / Sitemap /Submit an Article / Privacy Policy / LynnetteKhalfaniCox.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Books
  • Categories
  • Contact Lynnette
  • Get Coaching
  • Book Lynnette
  • Money Coach University™
  • Home
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Submit an Article

©2009-2023 TheMoneyCoach.net, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist