Affording the South’s Top-Ranked College: 5 Myths You Should Know

For the past 25 years, U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked Rollins College among the top two regional universities in the South. It’s a track record we’re proud of—providing the highest quality of education is a top priority here—but being ranked No. 1 can create some misconceptions.

Questions like “Can I even get in?” and “Could I afford it?” are natural. In fact, we hear them all the time. From admissions to aid, today we’re debunking the five main myths we hear from prospective students about getting a degree from Rollins’ Hamilton Holt School.

Myth 1: Why Even Apply? Rollins Is Too Selective

Admission is the first step, and often the first misconception, we hear from prospective students when considering a Rollins degree. Our Guaranteed Admission Policy makes a degree from a top-ranked institution more attainable than ever before. If you’re an undergraduate applicant in good standing and have a cumulative college GPA of 2.8, you’re guaranteed admission to Rollins’ Hamilton Holt School.

Myth 2: There Isn’t Financial Aid for Transfer Students

Another common concern we hear is that financial aid isn’t available for transfer students pursuing a bachelor’s degree. While we understand where this myth comes from, it’s simply not true at Rollins’ Hamilton Holt School!

Money.com ranked Rollins among the top 50 colleges for merit-based financial aid. With $3,857,417 in financial aid available annually just for Holt students, there are quite a few financial aid possibilities available to you. Scholarships, work study programs, loans, and grants are all viable options for Hamilton Holt students.

Myth 3: Most Students Don’t Receive Financial Aid

You might be thinking, “Okay, just because financial aid is available, it doesn’t make it attainable, right?” Wrong. Approximately 90% of Holt students receive some type of financial aid as they pursue their bachelor’s degree. So, not only is there financial aid at a top-ranked college available to you, but it’s more attainable than you probably realized.

Myth 4: Rollins Is Too Expensive

Rollins’ No. 1 in the South ranking leads many prospective students to assume their tuition costs would be way too high. However, the average net tuition for Hamilton Holt School students with demonstrated need is $2,159 per year with average financial aid packages for these students at $14,056 per year.

We understand that getting your bachelor’s is an investment, but with Holt’s financial aid resources and a dedicated staff to help you navigate your options, there are plenty of opportunities to offset tuition costs.

Myth 5: All Bachelor's Degrees Provide the Same Value

There are a lot of options out there when it comes to choosing a BA program. After you’ve explored what financial aid opportunities are available to you at Rollins’ Hamilton Holt School, consider the value of the education you’re receiving. A degree from a top-ranked college with hands-on learning environments, small classroom sizes, and world-class connections offers an invaluable educational experience that tuition costs alone don’t reflect.

Just ask Kyle Johnson ’07, a graduate of Rollins’ Hamilton Holt School who now serves as President and CEO of Lighthouse Central Florida and Lighthouse Works, organizations that serve blind and visually impaired members of the Central Florida community.

“For me, having gone to Rollins and then experiencing this renaissance in myself—where I literally didn’t know what I should be doing in my life, and now I’m doing exactly what I was born to do—it’s a dream come true.”