9 Tuition-Free Colleges & Universities

Going to college in the US is expensive and in economic times like these, and few students know they can go to college for free. Many students looking for free college end up in the military where the US government offers free college. For those like me, and can't hack it in the military (or just don't want to do it), there is always another option.

There are several free tuition colleges. If you're looking for a great learning experience without having to pay an arm and a leg for school, then this just might be your ticket!

Some of these colleges offer tuition free programs as a new idea and some are just hidden gems. Each of these colleges has their own way of offering free tuition so check them out!

While not offering a completely free college education, Berea College (located in Berea, Kentucky) is offering students a large chunk off their tuition. How? They've received a very, very large endowment.

Each student admitted to Berea will receive a $90,000 scholarship (and I thought my $2000 scholarship was great.) Room, board, and books aren't free of cost and students are required to work on campus at least 10 hours a week.

For engineering majors, the deal cannot get any sweeter than four years of free tuition at one of the top engineering undergraduate schools in the country. As all the students attend the college on grant money from the F.W. Olin Foundation, a large emphasis is placed on philanthropy as well as helping communities.

A huge benefit of this school is that the student to faculty ratio is 9:1 which gives a very individualized learning experience. Olin College of Engineering, located in Needham, Massachusetts, receives a massive amount of applications each year. With space for only about 340 students, enrollment can be quite competitive.

Located in the fun-to-say town of Pippa Passes, Kentucky, Alice Lloyd College requires students to work at least 10 hours a week in exchange for free tuition. For those students who would also like free room and board, there is the option to work 15 hours a week.

Students are allowed to let their personal preferences and work experience rein when choosing an on campus job. Alice Lloyd college is a private co-educational, Christian tuition free college that was founded to allow the Appalachian people to further their education.

There are many degree programs at this four year school. If you're interested in a teaching degree or a degree in biology, business, English, history, physical science, social science, and sports & fitness management, you might really want to consider Alice Lloyd College as an option. Alice Lloyd also offers a number of competitive sports including basketball, softball, cross country, cheerleading, and baseball.

In competition with Juilliard, this performing arts school has a highly selective entrance as they have an enrollment of only about 165 students. However, for those who do make it into the school, there are no worries about tuition as it is free of cost.

Students here put on over 100 concerts a year and receive one-on-one training. Because of this, students have a busy schedule, but this goes hand in hand with the "learning by doing" concept.

While students have a rigorous schedule, Curtis has produced a large number of notable artists. Curtis Institute of Music applicants are accepted purely on the basis of their artistic talent and not by their pocketbook which is the major reason that this school offers free tuition to its students. This tuition free college is located is located on Rittenhouse Square surrounded by the beautiful architecture of the nineteenth century mansions of Philadelphia.

Colleges have been trying some interesting things to get the most intelligent students to attend their programs. Since many of the top schools are known for being expensive, they often get only the students that come from money (which weeds out a large number of students.) The University of California - Irvine's School of Law is offering free tuition to the students of the class of 2012. This has definitely helped the application pool at the school as they're receiving a large amount of applications.

Located in Point Lookout, Missouri, College of the Ozarks degrees are tuition-free. Instead of paying for classes, students here work on campus at least 15 hours a week as well as two 40-hour work weeks. As well as being graded on their academics, students are graded on their work.

College of the Ozarks is able to fund their programs with generous donations from those who support how the college works. While tuition is free for students, the college also accepts federal student aid in order to keep their costs down, thus enabling more students to attend. The college originally started out by offering only two year degrees, but now offers bachelor's degrees.

This all-male, two-year college is located on an alfalfa farm/cattle ranch. Only about 15 students are admitted per year, but the college offers free tuition as well as free room and board. The catch? Students are required to work 20 hours a week on the ranch!

Since the college is located in the middle of nowhere, smoking is prohibited due to the lack of emergency services. In addition to this, leaving the campus during the semester is prohibited (except in extreme circumstances) so this isn't really considered a party school.

Offering degrees in engineering, the arts, architecture, and humanities & social sciences this college offers students four years of college absolutely free. This doesn't make the decision to attend Cooper Union easy, however, as it receives an enormous load of applications each year.

Students here can enjoy their time off campus exploring NYC and sharing the love by wearing an "I Love New York" shirt... after all the designer of the "I Love New York" logo, Milton Glaser, graduated from Cooper Union! The programs at here are rigorous, but the professors are dedicated to the education of their students.

The idea of tuition free colleges is a fairly new one, but it is growing. There are many colleges each year opening their doors to students free of charge. When the subject of financing college comes up, it's a good idea to consider a free college as this can lift the load of unnecessary loans.