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Giving
Portrait of Aidan '25

Giving

Giving

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

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. 

Why give?

No student is ever charged tuition.

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 76%. Another 16% comes from state and federal aid. Generous donors like you help us raise the remaining 8% every year.

8% from donations raised every year

8% 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.

Berea gives us the opportunity to end generational poverty.

Jamie Oleka '13
Managing Director, The Collective, Teach for America
2013
Jamie Oleka

Your gift's impact

Your gifts at work

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 programs and services 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. 

The students you support

67%
First-Generation Students Fall 2022

Most Berea students will be the first in their families to earn a four-year college degree

48%
Students of color

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

68%
Students from Kentucky and Appalachia in Fall 2021

Build brighter futures in the region

Berea by the Numberschevron_right

Inspiring Perspectives

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

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.

berea college tech campaign
The Heart of Technology

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.

Explore Monthly Giving. Your gift to Berea College makes an impact.
Join the Berea Partners

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.

Fernando, Berea College student.
Employer Matching Gift Opportunity

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.

Berea College reunion giving
Reunion Giving

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.