Investing in the Future: Helping Families Afford a PUC Education

As a Seventh-day Adventist learningcommunity offering an excellent Christ centered education, Pacific UnionCollege is proud to prepare its students for productive lives of useful humanservice and uncompromising personal integrity. Ranked as a National LiberalArts College by U.S. News & WorldReport, a PUC education emphasizes academic excellence, authentic spiritualexperience, and service to local and worldwide communities. At PUC, studentsare taught lasting lessons that they employ as professionals and as Christ’sservants.

A Pacific Union College degree is also an investment withlasting value. In September 2013, PUC was ranked in the top 13 percent ofcolleges nationally for return on investment by PayScale, a provider ofcompensation data. The ROI (return on investment) ranking demonstrates thatstudents who graduate from PUC enjoy a greater earnings increase than studentswithout a four-year degree. Estimates of lifetime earnings of college degreeholders range from $700,000 to $1 million more than those who have only a highschool diploma. When the college’s financial aid offerings are taken intoaccount, the PayScale ranking shows that PUC graduates could expect an annualreturn of 7.9% on their higher education investment. PUC has a long traditionof sending students to medical and dental school, as well as prestigiousgraduate programs, which further increases earning potential. PUC students arewell positioned for careers in fulfilling and financially rewardingprofessions; in recent years, nearly a third of PUC graduates have receiveddegrees in nursing.

Pacific Union College is dedicated to ensuring thisoutstanding education is accessible to every family and is a true investor instudents’ futures. One hundred percent of PUC students receive financial aid.In the 2013-2014 academic year, PUC awarded over $38 million in aid, with over$16 million coming directly from the college in the form of grants andscholarships. Experienced financial aid counselors work with students andfamilies to secure additional federal and state aid, including Pell Grants andCal Grants, which further lowers costs. PUC’s significant merit-basedscholarships recognize the academic achievement, talents, and leadership of thestudent body.

While PUC is proud of its aggressive scholarship and grantofferings, it also acknowledges that student loans are, when taken wisely, ahelpful resource for some families, especially those whose budgets became eventighter during the recent recession. During the 2013-2014 school year, over1,650 students and their families accessed the incredible education at PUC, andthe average out-of-pocket payment for these families was $6,656. A financialaid package that includes student loans can allow a student who would otherwisehave to work full-time and study part-time to complete college more efficientlyand graduate in four years—thus allowing them to enter the workforce in theirchosen profession faster. Data from the National Center for EducationStatistics shows that students who attend private colleges like PUC are morelikely to graduate in four years than those who attend public institutions.

Recently, PUC appeared on a list of private colleges whosestudents graduated with the most debt. While the college’s appearance on thelist (determined by a calculation of the average amount of debt among the 97members of the class of 2013 who meet the reporting criteria) is not positivenews, Pacific Union College’s own figures show that for the 2012-2013 academicyear, the average debt for the Class of 2013 graduates who took their entirebachelor’s degree at PUC is $26,978.

“Providing an education that supports students in theircurrent academic growth as well as their entire professional careers—andproviding it affordably—is the goal of PUC’s administration,” states PUCPresident Heather J. Knight. “The college continually seeks new ways to helpfamilies finance a high-quality Seventh-day Adventist Christian education.”

The benefits and value of a PUC education are incalculable,and PUC’s expert student financial services team works with each individualfamily to build a financial aid package that fits within each family’s budget.Continued financial aid education, including tutorials on college borrowing, isa priority at PUC.