Fifty years ago, a newspaper reporter dubbed College of the Ozarks "Hard Work U" — a nickname that not only stuck, but has since been trademarked. The private Christian liberal arts college lives up to its name: All students are required to work on campus 15 hours a week. But the upside is well worth it, since, together with state grants, federal grants and scholarships, that part-time work covers students’ entire tuition. The college discourages students from taking out loans of any kind, in fact, and provides extra work opportunities over school breaks for those who need help paying room and board or living expenses. As a result, most students pay nothing out of pocket and carry no student loan debt upon graduation.
The oft-cited 1973 Wall Street Journal article that gave College of the Ozarks its nickname also described it as a "most unusual" school, and rightfully so. The college boasts about its Fruitcake and Jelly Kitchen, an on-campus enterprise where student employees bake and sell between 20,000 and 30,000 fruitcakes a year. Other gigs include working on the campus dairy farm and grinding flour for Edwards Mill. Potential students should note, however, that the college is a conservative school with a student handbook that strictly prohibits "homosexual conduct" and "gender expression inconsistent with sex assigned at birth."
