In a way, higher education at its best is all about relationships.
- Relationships between instructor and student.
- Relationships between faculty and administration.
- Relationships between funding sources and institutions of higher education.
- Relationships between generous supporters in the corporate and community sphere, and eager students who aspire to make profound impact in their future careers.
At Cleary University, we are incredibly grateful to our supporters for helping us create a variety of funding sources to make a business education possible.
How to afford a college education is a hot topic nationwide, along with the question of how universities and colleges can stay in business as we face rising costs, diminishing funding sources and the sudden need to innovate in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Politicians debate whether free college is reasonable, or even possible, while families across America want to give their children the eye-opening, future-building path of postsecondary education without breaking the bank.
One of the easiest ways to satisfy all of these concurrent desires is through meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships that lift everyone up.
Higher Education as a Wise Investment
Cleary University cherishes our relationships with sponsors and corporate partners. We are always open to creating new ways to give opportunities to potential students and benefit industry as well.
Our private donor scholarship program is a unique experience for a generous individual, family or organization to identify with a specific student and guide them through their educational career.
This is meaningful on so many levels because it’s connecting human relationships with valuable learning. Private donors who provide these scholarships become mentors and sometimes, lifelong friends, to the students they sponsor. And students in turn feel seen, known, heard and they realize how much they matter.
Corporate Support for Higher Education
Another way we try to innovatively reduce college debt is in partnership with the corporate sector, establishing collaborations that provide tuition as a potential benefit to employees. In turn, we cater to specific industries and companies to ensure that the curriculum directly addresses their immediate and long-term business needs.
There are so many ways to fund a higher education. It just requires ingenuity, partnership and effort – from all directions.
Students may receive an athletic scholarship for participating in college sports. There are state and federal grants, academic and need-based scholarships. So many community organizations across America offer small to large stipends for students who exhibit certain talents, interests or meet other criteria.
Today’s student is not a one-size-fits-all profile. We have traditional just-graduated-from-high-school students. We have students beginning their university experience after years in the workforce or armed services. We have students returning to school for advanced degrees after climbing the corporate ladder. And we have students transferring from other institutions.
And thus, funding must fit the student and the situation. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how we fund higher education. It’s merely an exercise in exploration, open conversation, and creative planning.
At Cleary, our priority is to find ways to welcome a diverse variety of students to our campus – students who are eager to learn, dedicated to share their talents with the world, and ambitiously aspiring future leaders. And we are dedicated to discovering funding sources to make that happen.
