You might think there’s no escaping the high—and still rising—cost of college. But at some schools, the cost of tuition rings up as zilch, zero, nada.These ten colleges across the country offer free tuition. At many of the schools, students work a set number of hours in a student work program or, in the case of the military academies, commit to a period of service after graduating.

Not surprisingly, the savings for families is significant. During the 2015–16 academic year, the average annual sticker price for tuition and fees for in-state students attending a four-year public college was $9,410, according to the College Board. Meanwhile, the average annual cost of tuition and fees for out-of-state students at a four-year public college was $23,893. Private colleges were even pricier, at an average total cost of $32,405.

Although the schools listed here are tuition-free in most cases, students and their families are expected to pay for required fees, room and board, and books. Financial aid is often available to help defray those costs.

COLLEGE NUMBER ONE

ALICE LLOYD COLLEGE

Location: Pippa Passes, Ky.

Undergraduate enrollment: 616

At this small liberal-arts college, located in a Kentucky town named after a Robert Browning poem, students from much of Central Appalachia won’t pay tuition regardless of their family’s financial situation. Instead, all full-time students are required to work at least 10 hours each week as part of the requirements for graduating. Across the school’s 225-acre campus, students fill a variety of roles, from receptionists and computer technicians to lifeguards and groundskeepers.

Students from the school’s 108-county service area, which spans portions of Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, can expect to spend about $9,590 a year on required fees, room and board, and books. Additional financial aid is available; some students work extra hours to cover non-tuition costs. When they aren’t attending class or working on campus, they can explore the nearby Daniel Boone National Forest and Kingdom Come State Park.

COLLEGE NUMBER 2

BARCLAY COLLEGE

Location: Haviland, Kan.

Undergraduate enrollment: 292

This Bible-centric college on the prairie was founded by Quakers in 1917. Today the school admits students from all evangelical faiths. Barclay’s degree programs are mostly religious—majors include worship arts, youth ministry and missions work—but the school also offers majors in business administration, elementary education, and psychology and family studies.

Barclay’s 20-acre campus spans six blocks in central Kansas. All full-time students who live on campus receive a full-tuition scholarship of $12,500 per year. Students may also receive other scholarships and need-based financial aid to help cover the additional $12,490 annual cost of fees, room and board, and books.

COLLEGE NUMBER 3

BEREA COLLEGE

Location: Berea, Ky.

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,643

In 2016, Berea College ranked number 93 on Kiplinger’s overall list of 300 best value colleges—thanks in part to its full-tuition scholarship. It also has the lowest average student debt at graduation of all 300 schools on our best values list. Berea was founded by abolitionists and other reformers in 1855 and admits only students with financial need. The school’s sticker price for room and board, required fees and books after the full-tuition scholarship is $7,742 for the 2016–17 academic year.

Located 35 miles south of Lexington, Ky., Berea offers 32 academic majors in the arts, sciences and some professional programs. All Berea students receive the tuition scholarship, which amounts to nearly $100,000 over four years. They are required to work 10 to 15 hours per week on campus while carrying a full academic load. The average family income for a Berea student is $28,652. Additional financial aid is available for students who need help with living expenses, such as housing; among students who borrow, the average debt at graduation is a slim $7,928.

See full list of colleges at http://www.jalupon.com/10-american-colleges-where-tuition-is-free/

Just to think China just made basic education free, muscling out the profiteers. But here, man continues to pay the equivalent of college student fee for young children.

Maybe Man need relocate afterall, even if it is just for the sake of the kids...

This is great. However, a huge problem with free college tuition would be that the standard for college students would decrease and the amount of motivation would also decrease in the classroom. I believe that there would be a major decline in the amount of students that make it to graduation if we allow college tuition to be free because people going through high school will feel that they do not need to work as hard. They may even resort to custom writing service so that they can spend their time shopping or playing a video game. Although I am aware that there is a problem with some students not being able to afford college but have the grades to back it up, the government should pinpoint these students and help them directly. In many countries, it is a very rare occurrence for people to be able to attend college and i feel that the system we use in the United States is a very generous system considering the different types of financial aid that is available for students. Near the end of the article, it states that “ Rather than spread scare federal money across all students, policymakers should instead target those resources toward those who need it most and empower them to choose the option - public or private - that fits their needs.” I agree with this idea and would like to try to convince my audience to believe this way as well. I would like to see more Americans attend college, but allowing all high school graduates to attend for free is just not the way to go. The amount of debt would be too great and taxpayers would be paying too much in my opinion.