A private college here in Dallas is tackling the high cost of a post-secondary education head on, and is introducing nonacademic work into its students’ college experience.
Only seven work colleges exist in the U.S., and Paul Quinn College will be the first in the Lone Star State. Moreover, none of the other work colleges are located in cities the size of Dallas.
Paul Quinn College made the announcement of its adoption of the work college model on February 17. The new program will not become effective until the fall; at which time all students will be assigned jobs either on campus or with local businesses. Students will work all through their enrollment and will benefit from lower tuition as a result.
According to Michael Sorrell, president of Paul Quinn, the change to a work college will, with other available assistance, reduce the average student’s cost per year from $14,275 to $2,300. Moreover, Sorrell also announced that students will no longer need to purchase textbooks because classes will commence using only free, open-source materials.
Colleges, like businesses, need to advertise to be successful. A quality catalog printing service can go a long way in increasing a school’s enrollment.
Paul Quinn will not be officially designated a work college for at least two years as per U.S. Department of Education standards. After this time, the college can take its place among the Work Colleges Consortium.
