Learning to lead at a college where tuition is zero

Berea College operates on a distinctive premise: no student pays tuition, but every student works. Since 1892, the school has maintained this labor-based system, requiring undergraduates to hold campus jobs. For Mullins, this meant starting her freshman year changing diapers in a child development lab before transitioning into a leadership role as a Resident Advisor. This requirement provides more than just financial relief; it builds a professional portfolio alongside academic credits.

While the schedule is demanding—a phenomenon students describe as being "Berea Busy"—the arrangement provided Mullins the financial security to pivot from her original plan of becoming a teacher to pursuing sociology. With the burden of tuition removed, she is now looking toward graduate school rather than an immediate, debt-driven career search. The institution, one of only ten federally recognized work colleges in the United States, plans to expand its financial support by 2027 to cover the full cost of attendance for all students, including housing and meals, through loan-free packages.