Paul Quinn College Maps Out Plan to Have Students Pay Just $2,300 to Attend

In an effort to have more of its students graduate college debt-free and with a job, Paul Quinn College in Dallas has outlined a plan that will allow students to pay just $2,300 per year if they are willing to work for it.

Starting this fall, students will be able to reduce their tuition by working 10-20 hours a week on campus or with local companies as part of their education.

“We can now deliver two education experiences for the price of one,” The Dallas Morning News reports Paul Quinn President Michael Sorrell saying. “You’re going to get a traditional liberal arts education, and it’s going to be combined with four years of real-world work experience.”

With the goal to help more students graduate college by making it more affordable, Sorrell says that the new work program will be mandatory for all students living on campus. Currently, Paul Quinn has nearly 300 undergraduate students, with a majority of them coming from low-income families. The estimated total cost of attendance for the coming school year is $14,275. However, with students earning $5,000 from working and an estimated $6,975 that most students earn from federal and state grants, the new out-of-pocket cost for students will drop to a low $2,300

Right now, Sorrell says that the HBCU is still working out arrangements with employers and plans to seek formal recognition as a work college from the U.S. Department of Education.