Hernando Reporter

Recent college graduates know full well the repercussions of excessive student loan debt. In an era when the average undergraduate student leaves college with more than $29,000 in debt, higher-education loans can negatively affect their ability to purchase property, save for retirement, or simply pay the bills, leading some graduates to postpone significant life events such as starting a family or launching a business, or in some cases pause their academic journey.

High-Quality Education, Low Student Loans

Fortunately, Broward College has taken an active approach to lessen the loan burden for its students. Through scholarships, grants, and other partner-supported gifts, the College enables students to earn a top-rate education without the lasting financial effects of student loans. The College’s student debt-reducing strategy has been recognized nationally. In September 2022, U.S. News & World Report named Broward College number one in Least Debt Acquired by Students in Southern Regional Colleges in the U.S. In other words, at a time in our nation when many students are incurring debt that stops their personal and professional plans, Broward College is among the best in the nation in ensuring that students have little to no debt obligation upon graduation.

U.S. News & World Report regularly ranks institutions of higher education in categories of academics and financial support. For its Least Debt Acquired rating, the publication compiled a list of the most affordable colleges based on data on loans owned by the U.S. Department of Education – the vast majority of student loans. Broward College fared well in two categories: Typical Total Debt After Graduation, which represents the median cumulative amount borrowed by 2019 and 2020 graduates who took out federal loans; and Freshmen Receiving Federal Loans, that is, the percentage of first-time, full-time undergraduates who borrowed during the 2019-2020 academic year. On average, Broward College graduates owed just $7,250 after graduation, with 16 percent of first-year students receiving federal loans.

Helping Students Achieve Their Dreams

With an annual enrollment of 56,000, Broward College remains committed to keeping tuition for students low, maintaining an average cost-per-credit of $117.90 for in-state students and $373.00 for out-of-state students. For students who have difficulty paying for classes, Broward College also provides a range of scholarship support. The Broward College Scholarship Application allows students to complete one application and be matched to numerous scholarships. Simply put, Broward College made it possible for students to pursue higher education without resorting to borrowing money.  

For example, Lyle Pierce, an Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy student who graduated in 2021, received an American Dream Scholarship that helped him realize his academic goals. “The American Dream Scholarship helped me overcome financial obstacles that could have prevented me from completing my education,” he said. “My dream is to pursue a career in nuclear medicine, and I needed these funds to get back and forth to clinicals on-site at hospitals and clinics in the Miami and Broward area. I want to be part of the generation that eradicates cancer, because it has touched so many people who are near and dear to me. Broward College and the American Dream Scholarship is making that possible.”

The scholarship – and the education it afforded him from Broward College – put Lyle on the cusp of achieving his dream. He currently resides in Lancaster, California, where he works as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at PIH Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles.

Making College Affordable to All

“We believe a post-secondary education should be accessible to everyone,” said Tara Jones, associate vice president, Financial Services. “Student loan debt is not something we want any student to take on to pay for their education. At Broward College, we continually seek new funding sources and ways to help our students manage life expenses while pursuing their academic goals.”

For many prospective students, the thought of having to take out student loans to finance their education can be a barrier to beginning the next academic chapter in their lives. In alignment with its new Social Enterprise Plan – more specifically, the plan’s frameworks of Guaranteeing Access to Higher Education and Empowering Student Development – Broward College seeks to address those concerns by making college affordable to all.

Original source can be found here.