Although a Hillsdale education costs nearly $100,000 over four years, Hillsdale students walk off the graduation stage with some of the lowest debt of any college students nationwide. This could not be done without the incessant work ethic of the college’s financial aid office, led by Rich Moeggenberg.
On average, students at Hillsdale College graduate with $25,000 in debt, $5,000 less than the average college graduate in the United States. Last year, the office awarded an average of $16,700 per student, making the average financial aid package worth more than a half-tuition scholarship.
The numerous and diverse scholarship opportunities the office offers allow students of all interests, financial situations, and study to add to their financial aid packages. In recent years, the office has awarded military veterans with hefty scholarships that cover tuition, some even covering living expenses and the cost of books. Other scholarship recipients range from students interested in art to students who hail from Nebraska.
This kind of familiarity found in the financial office not only allows the team to know college students’ financial needs, but also the students as people. This four-year relationship often results in larger financial gifts throughout a student’s time at Hillsdale. Unlike the impersonal, bureaucratic FAFSA system, Hillsdale’s financial aid team cares.
It is a luxury to meet with financial aid officers face-to-face rather than turning in an endless form once a year, hoping the massive entity will detect the intricacies of your financial needs. The friendly dynamic of the office comforts students with the pressing stress of graduating with debt, kindly facilitating young adults into the post-graduate world, also known as real life.