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Berea College

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Berea is a special place. Founded in 1855 as the South's first interracial and co-educational college, Berea has been unique from the outset.  And for 130 years, the College has not charged its students tuition.

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We only serve students with limited resources and unlimited potential. As you’ll see, your donation has a significant and far-reaching impact for our students, the College and its mission, and the world beyond campus. 

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Unlike other colleges where tuition revenue provides most of the funding, we put our endowment to work by using investment returns to help pay for every student's tuition. Our endowment earnings provide nearly three-quarters of our operating budget or about 71%. Another 22% comes from state and federal aid. Generous donors like you help us raise the remaining 7% every year.

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7% of our operating budget comes from donations that need to be raised every year. It's how we pay for every student's tuition. The donation has a far-reaching impact for our students.

7% from donations raised every year

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Managing Director, The Collective, Teach for America

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Educational opportunity is one of the surest ways to move people out of poverty and toward a better, more satisfying life.  

Berea supports all of its students better than other institutions through myriad <a href="http://jayconscious.com/student-support-and-belonging">programs and services</a> designed to help them succeed. We have a deep knowledge of and commitment to the students we serve. This unparalleled support ensures our students graduate in high percentages, compared to the national average.

The students we serve have few options for affordable and high-quality education without your support. That means your gifts have huge impact. 

It's important that we continue the legacy of the South's first interracial and co-educational college

The students you support

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Hear more about giving from our students, alumni, and friends.

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Friend of Berea

Berea College is proud to be one of the 13 private colleges in the U.S. with a Aaa rating by Moody&#8217;s Ratings.

Aaa rated by Moody's

Berea College earned a Platinum Seal of Transparency with Guidestar Candid.

Guidestar Candid Rating

Berea College earned a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator.

Charity Navigator Rating

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Our mission is impossible without your gift

Your gift to Berea College is an investment in lives of great promise, helping to fund the education of bright young minds from Appalachia and beyond.

Constructed in 1958, Danforth Technology Building no longer meets the needs of a fast-paced, modern technology curriculum. The new buildings will make room for innovation through cutting-edge laboratories, flexible classrooms, areas for interdisciplinary exploration, and community-oriented gathering spaces.

The Heart of Technology

12 gifts. 12 months. Fulfilling Berea’s ambitious mission takes hard work and dedication. Berea Partners is a new gift club made exclusively for monthly donors. Your monthly gifts allow you to invest in lives of great promise all year long.

Join the Berea Partners

Did you know some employers will double or even triple the size of your gift? By taking advantage of employer matching gifts, you can make your gift farther for Berea students who need it most. Search for your employer today to get the process started.

Employer Matching Gift Opportunity

Berea welcomes alumni to return to campus during their reunion and contribute through class campaigns designed by their Reunion Giving Chairs as a way to connect and engage. Join your class efforts to support current and future Bereans for generations to come.

Reunion Giving

Liz '26 and her two children in their Ecovillage home.