Fully Funded

Berea College is revolutionizing the economics of higher education. We are the first college in the country to exclusively admit students with unlimited potential and limited resources, and to provide every student with a fully funded degree—covering tuition, housing, food, and fees, without loans and without limits.  

Rooted in access, affordability, and opportunity, Berea’s Financial Freedom Pledge [link] is our bold and unmatched financial aid framework that funds 100% of tuition, housing, food, and fees without loans. 

A Legacy of Bold Ideas

In 1892, Berea College stopped charging tuition, ensuring that our students would not be held back from their educational dreams by educational costs. We are the oldest continuously tuition-free college in the country—and we are ready to build on this bold legacy. 

Beginning in Fall 2027, Berea will take this commitment even further by becoming the first college in the country to provide every enrolled student with a fully funded, no-loan degree. At Berea, talent—not income—determines opportunity. 

Our groundbreaking proposition is built on four core ideas:

A New Financial Aid Economics

Over four years, Berea's Financial Freedom Pledge provides every student with a fully funded degree. Our comprehensive, no-loan financial aid package combines Berea funding with federal and state grants, personal scholarships, and other awards to eliminate the cost of attendance. Berea also fully funds what we call our Premier Perks, including a laptop, summer internship, professional clothing, conference attendance, and much more. Our goal is to open the door to endless possibilities:

“At Berea, higher education is not about economics—it is about experiences. It is not about term bills—it is about transformation. It is not about costs—it is about community. It is about our enduring commitment to every student and the future they imagine for themselves.”

– Cheryl L. Nixon, President

An Exchange of Gifts 

Every student arrives at Berea with gifts: talent, curiosity, determination, creativity, a desire to serve, and a dream for what comes next. Our commitment is simple: when students bring us their gifts, Berea invests in their potential.  The real value isn’t measured in what students save. It’s measured in the freedom they’ll have to dream, explore, and become. 

We call this Financial Freedom.

Financial Freedom means students are:

At Berea College, students bring their gifts. In return, we provide a Fully Funded Degree that unlocks potential, expands opportunity, and prepares graduates to change the world.

We don’t want your tuition, we want your transformation.

We don’t want your debt, we want your determination.

You are Free to Dream, Driven to Do.