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 the nickname. No student at the college pays tuition. In exchange, every student participates in the on-campus work program for 15 hours per week during courses.
The college discourages students from taking student loans of any kind. Students can participate in the summer work program, qualify for additional scholarships, or enter into payment plans for other expenses, such as room and board, to reduce the need for loans.
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 strict rules for both students and faculty. The handbooks for students and employees prohibit any "homosexual conduct" or "gender expression inconsistent with sex assigned at birth."
