MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Spring Hill College is working to knock down financial barriers in higher education as they announce that the incoming freshman class will receive free graduate tuition after completing their bachelor’s degree at Spring Hill.

“What we’re seeing today, there is a lot of questions about if higher education is worth the cost and it really is,” Spring Hill College President Dr. Mary Van Brunt said.

Currently, the cost of graduate tuition at Spring Hill can range from $15,000 to $20,000. Undergraduate tuition costs $23,504 a year.

“You’re saving a substantial amount of money,” Van Brunt said.

Van Brunt said that due to Spring Hill being a smaller college, they are able to mold their tuition to help students reach their education goals.

Even as the school has grown in numbers this past year.

“This year we have seen a lot of increases in our applications, about 40% which is really big for a college the size of Spring Hill,” Vice President of Advancement and Enrollment, Nathan Copeland said.

Current Spring Hill senior, Isiah Veal said that he wishes he was offered this incentive as he is deciding if he should go to graduate school.

“Upperclassmen could definitely have used this opportunity to save money and to further their education and really change the diversity they have in their families,” Veal said.

By 2028, Van Brunt said that Spring Hills’ goal is to have a graduate program that can lead to everyone’s dream job.