↓ General Information on the Cost of the Degree, Scholarships, and Loans
↓ Strategies for Funding an $8,000/year tuition target
↓ Strategy 1: Scholarships and "Gift Aid"
↓ Strategy 2: Employer Education Benefits (tuition assistance / prepaid tuition)
↓ Strategy 3: Workforce and state programs (non-Title-IV pathways)
↓ Strategy 4: Military and service-based education funding
↓ Strategy 5: Loans and other financing (use carefully)
↓ Recommended Student Action Plan
Your undergraduate tuition will be $8,000 per year for a total of $32,000 for your four-year degree. This is less than the average cost of one year at a traditional college or university. Our goal is for all students to complete Ricketts Great Books College with little to no student debt. This will give you maximal freedom to pursue opportunities after you graduate.
Ricketts Great Books College is committed to academic freedom and independence and for this reason does not participate in Federal Title IV financial aid, including Pell Grants, federal Direct Loans, federal work-study, and similar programs.
This has some important consequences that students and families should be aware of:
The low tuition of Ricketts Great Books College means that students can often cover tuition with a planned mix of work and scholarships, allowing them to avoid long-term debt.
One workable approach is combining part-time work during the term with full-time summer work. Such an approach might look something like the following:
To cover $8,000 from wages alone, a student would need a job with an average hourly wage after taxes of $10.50.
This shows how a student can fund their degree without heavy borrowing, especially when paired with scholarships.
When determining how you will pay for college, we suggest considering a number of different sources:
While Private Loans can seem appealing, we encourage students to explore all other options first as loans can adversely impact your future options.
The rest of this document will explore different strategies a student might use to fund their education.
Scholarships are typically the best third-party funding because they do not require repayment. Your goal should be consistent, repeatable scholarship searching—small awards add up.
Local scholarships are often less competitive than national awards:
Students can use reputable scholarship databases to identify opportunities and deadlines:
Employer education benefits can be powerful even if they don't pay your college directly—because they can reduce overall life expenses or cover other education/career steps, freeing cash for tuition.
Benefit programs may be those available to your parents because of their employment or they may come from your own job.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is designed to help job seekers access training and education. Students can explore eligibility through local workforce boards/American Job Centers. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/wioa
A common mechanism is an Individual Training Account (ITA) voucher that can pay for training at approved providers (rules vary by state/local area).
Interested students should use CareerOneStop's "Find money for training" resources and contact a local American Job Center for eligibility screening. https://www.careeronestop.org/FindTraining/Pay/find-money-for-training.aspx
Many states administer significant aid programs (scholarships, grants, tuition support). Eligibility rules vary widely, and some programs may require attendance at specific institutions.
A good starting point is NASSGAP (National Association of State Student Grant & Aid Programs), which hosts links/resources that can point students toward state agencies. https://www.nassgap.org
GI Bill benefits can be used at VA-approved schools and programs (not all institutions are approved). The VA provides tools to help search and compare. https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool/
Action step for students/veterans: Use the GI Bill Comparison Tool and/or WEAMS tools to verify whether a program is approved. https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool/schools-and-employers
The National Guard notes that members may be able to earn state and federal tuition benefits, with details varying by state. https://nationalguard.com/education
AmeriCorps members who complete service may earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award that can be used for education costs at qualified institutions or to repay qualified student loans—but "qualified" can mean the institution must be eligible under specific federal rules, so students must verify whether it applies at a non-Title-IV school. https://my.americorps.gov/trust/help/member_portal/eli_segal_americorps_education_award_overview.htm
Private student loans are offered by private lenders and generally do not include federal borrower protections. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau notes that most lenders require a school certification step (often handled by a financial aid office) confirming enrollment and the remaining cost of attendance. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-are-private-student-loans-en-2136
Some private lenders explicitly require the school to be Title IV eligible, so students should not assume that all private student loans will be available. Be sure to check carefully.
These options can exist, but they often have tradeoffs and should be approached cautiously:
For each year, students should list:
Remember: The tuition of Ricketts Great Books College has been set to be very affordable. We strongly encourage students to consider part-time work before taking on long-term debt to pay for their education.
