Eager to encourage public service and give debt-burdened graduates more options, several colleges and universities are trying new initiatives.
This fall, for instance, eight 2008 Princeton University graduates are the first group to begin two-year, federal jobs as a pre-condition for pursuing a free Princeton master’s degree. Harvard Law School said earlier this year it will, starting in 2010, waive one year’s $41,500 tuition for third-year students who commit to work five years in government or non-profit fields. Tufts became the nation’s first university this year to offer loan repayment assistance to all its graduates, not just those from a particular professional school.