Many students interested in a faith-based education have often wondered if Christian colleges cost more to attend than other institutions. While the short answer is yes, these institutions cost more than public state schools, the long answer is more beneficial for students. From hearing about how and why Christian colleges are less expensive than secular private schools to learning how to cut down on the price of a college degree, students will find all of the answers they need to make a decision about whether or not they can afford to attend a Christian institution.
Private Schools vs. Public Schools
Since America has a clear separation of church and state, all Christian colleges and universities in the country are considered private institutions; there are no exceptions. What this means for students is that Christian colleges cost more than attending a state-funded school within their home state. Since states cannot legally give these institutions funds from the state to run their programs, the schools must rely on slightly higher tuition fees as well as generous donations from private donors in order to keep costs relatively low. This should come as no surprise to students; Christian colleges and universities tend to be transparent about their tuition and fees.
Christian Schools vs. Secular Schools
While Christian schools are private institutions, they also tend to be less expensive than secular schools. This is because the school cares more about removing barriers to a faith-based education than having high tuition costs. Secular schools rely heavily on tuition and fees that individual students pay while Christian colleges have larger endowments that are funded by private donors with a lot of capital on hand. Students at Christian colleges also tend to spend less time getting their degree than those at other institutions, eliminating the tuition needs for at least one full academic term, which can easily be as much as $10,000 when tuition, books and room and board is considered.
Scholarships Available To Offset Tuition
Christian colleges have an advantage over other schools in that it is possible for students to use a variety of faith-based scholarships to fund their education. Many colleges have scholarships focused on their school alone, enabling students to earn one or two years of tuition-free education. However, students are also eligible for faith-based scholarships based on their declared field of study or their previous work in the church. Scholarships dependent on financial need, talent or skill are also available and are incredibly generous, as U.S. News and World Report points out.
Work and Volunteer Programs
Some colleges move past scholarships and have built tuition-free programs; the catch is that instead of paying tuition, students must either work at the school or engage in community-based projects to enrich the town or city that the school is located in. While many private and public schools have gone tuition-free in this way, Christian colleges and universities seem to be unparalleled in this arena. The only difference between a Christian college and a secular college doing work and volunteer programs is that Christian colleges tend to focus the work on a student’s actual education; students will engage in their work and volunteer time on projects that they will face in the workforce after graduation. This provides students with a great deal of experience in their field prior to graduation as well as having the sense that they have become part of a community that extends past their education.
Christian colleges are well-endowed institutions that make them perfectly suited for providing students with a lower price to get a college degree. Students will also find that despite what they may have thought to be true, a Christian education is not far out of reach; they only need to look at what scholarships and work programs can be undertaken in order to fund their education. Now that the answer to whether a Christian college education is more expensive than other private schools, students can move forward with their plans to earn a faith-based degree.
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