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The worry of burdensome debt is a roadblock for many seeking a college degree. Luckily, ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Regionals offers multiple pathways to low-cost tuition while providing a valuable education at a top-ranked institution.

With several programs and scholarships that cover most or all tuition expenses, plus lower cost tuition than major four-year residential schools, Miami Regionals offers a solution to the fears of college sticker shock.

“I was adamant about not taking out loans,” said Hunter Bechtel, who will graduate in the fall of 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration. “I used the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to figure out my options. I will graduate completely debt-free,” he said, after securing a Pell Grant and several local grants through the city of Middletown.

Bechtel is one of thousands of Miami ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs who take advantage of the university’s options for lowering costs. Starting with Miami Regionals less than $8,000 per year tuition, which is roughly half of what most four-year schools charge, and then adding in opportunities for tuition assistance and grants, ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs can cut costs to zero or nearly zero.

Alberto Garay

Tuition assistance and vital work experience through Work+ and Service+

Experience in a work setting is an important part of most ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs’ college journey. Miami Regionals has created two vital programs that pair this experience with the chance to earn paid tuition as part of the bargain. Work+ and Service+ offer ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs the option to work with local businesses or nonprofits and get some or all tuition expenses covered in return.

Work+ was launched in 2019 and has doubled enrollment every year since. With roughly 100 ºÚÁÏÉçÇø workers and more than 20 participating companies, ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs have numerous options to find a job that provides work experience they can apply to their career goals. In exchange for 24 hours of paid work per week, the business pays their tuition and an hourly wage.

“Employers want motivated employees who are goal-oriented and work hard,” said Pete Haverkos, Ph.D., regional assistant dean for ºÚÁÏÉçÇø and academic success. “Students are always looking for ways to reduce college costs and earn money. This works for both of them.”

Small Business Management major Alberto Garay participates in Work+ with an administrative job working for the city of West Chester. As a military veteran, he also has benefits. But he wants to save much of that to use for graduate school. With Work+, Garay said he can take advantage of the tuition assistance and also gain important workplace skills he needs for the future.

“I had good work skills and soft skills,” he said. “But they were oriented to the Navy. I wanted to adapt my skills to fit civilian life. This job experience is helping me do that.”

Service+ provides the tuition assistance, but ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs spend their time with a nonprofit instead of a business. The program is offered through , which means ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs earn education awards and stipends for bills through AmeriCorps for part-time service with one of many participating area nonprofits.

Morgan Hedges, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in the spring of 2026, said her Service+ job with Warren County nonprofit Sleep in Heavenly Peace has been an important part of her educational experience at Miami.

“The connections I’ve made through Service+ and my host site, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, have been invaluable,” Hedges said. “I’ve stayed with the program because of the community and because of the financial assistance it provides. The Service+ scholarship covers half of my tuition each fall, which has been an enormous help in managing my educational expenses. Additionally, the stipends I receive allow me to pay off ºÚÁÏÉçÇø loans and cover everyday living costs, which is crucial since my academic workload leaves little time for other employment.”

In addition to these two programs, ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs can also take advantage of Work Study opportunities that provide needs-based ºÚÁÏÉçÇø jobs for individuals who qualify. Combined with other scholarships and grants, Work Study assistance can help cover expenses and offer job skills and leadership development, too.

Miami Middletown Rising and Hamilton Promise scholarships

If you live in Hamilton or Middletown and attended high school there, your community is prepared to help you attend ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Regionals tuition-free. These two new scholarship programs launch this fall and are aimed at helping many more local ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs earn their college degrees who might otherwise forgo an education due to the expense.

The scholarships cover tuition and fees for up to eight consecutive semesters for ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs who meet eligibility requirements. You can attend college full-time without worrying about costs.

“These scholarships remove barriers and make college affordable for many more young people,” said Ande Durojaiye, vice president of Miami Regionals and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science. “We hope local ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs will take advantage of it.”

Yellow Ribbon and Purple Heart campus

While the GI Bill for military veterans is not unique to ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Regionals, the Regionals has taken extra steps to ensure veterans will find a welcoming atmosphere and skilled support with their unique benefits process and military background.

Miami Regionals was designated a Purple Heart university in 2015. This means faculty and staff have completed military-friendly training to better serve veterans and their families. These extra support measures include a thorough understanding of military terminology, and academic, financial, and social issues unique to veterans.

Garay, a nine-year Navy veteran who is studying Small Business Management with a goal of eventually earning a graduate degree in statistical analysis, said he found the shift to campus life simpler than he imagined with help from the staff at the Regionals.

“My advisors made the transition from the Navy pretty easy, better than I expected. I also got credit for some of the courses I had taken during my training.”

Garay said his advisors also helped him sign up for Work+ so he could save some of his GI Bill benefits to help pay for grad school. He also said his Work+ advisor was an important advocate for him when he needed it.

“They check in with you to see how you’re doing. If you need help, they’re there to step in and get you what you need. I was struggling with a class, and my advisor reached out, which really helped. It’s been a pillar of support for me.”

In addition to being a Purple Heart university, Miami is also a Yellow Ribbon program- participating university. Veterans who qualify for Yellow Ribbon scholarships (for out of state ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs) will find an advising team who is knowledgeable and ready to help with necessary paperwork.

Miami Plan and pathways to educational opportunity

ºÚÁÏÉçÇø’s core curriculum means ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs who start without a major can use their first two years to explore subjects and career options that interest them without the fear of wasting time or money on unnecessary courses.

Miami Regionals Director of Advising Stephanie Beck said undecided ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs are earning general studies credits while they are discovering their strengths and passions. The Miami Plan ensures they will be using it to prepare them for their next educational steps and improve their work-readiness skills.

In addition, Miami makes it possible to easily transition to the Oxford campus if a ºÚÁÏÉçÇø’s educational goals require it. No new applications are required for Miami Regionals ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs who continue their education in Oxford.

Education leaders praise Miami Regionals efforts to reduce higher education barriers

Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Mike Duffey said Miami has created affordable pathways to higher education that are among the most effective in the state. This enables more ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs to earn their degrees without added stress from financial burdens.

“Empowering Ohioans to live up to their full potential increasingly requires access to postsecondary education. ºÚÁÏÉçÇø deserves acclaim for Work+, its signature work-based learning program. Work+ allows ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs to get hands-on experience and graduate debt-free. ºÚÁÏÉçÇø is also leading the way in college access through Service+, Hamilton Promise, and Middletown Rising, in addition to its support for veterans. There has never been a better time to attend ºÚÁÏÉçÇø or be part of the community in southwest Ohio.”