I go to a tuition-free college where every student works part-time. I'm very busy, but I'll graduate nearly debt-free.
A student at Berea College shares her experience attending a tuition-free work college where students are required to work part-time. This model allows her to graduate with minimal student debt compared to traditional university paths.
Why it matters
The rising cost of higher education has made alternative models like work-colleges increasingly relevant for students seeking to avoid long-term debt.
The author is a student at Berea College, a federal work-college in Kentucky. Courtesy of Grace Mullins Berea College in Kentucky is one of 10 federally recognized work colleges in the US. Work colleges offer students tuition-free models in exchange for required work hours. The tuition-free model has helped Grace Mullins, a rising senior, attain her education. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Grace Mullins, a rising senior and sociology major from Indiana at Berea College, a private liberal arts work college in Kentucky. This story has been edited for length and clarity. I wouldn't have been able to afford college without taking out a lot of student debt . As a student at Berea College, I don't pay tuition ; the school was the only way I could graduate without an insane amount of debt that would follow me for the rest of my life.
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