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“The problem of excessive student debt has reached a point of crisis,” according to a about college affordability. “Fortunately, there are some schools willing to accommodate these students. They provide a means by which students can finance their education without incurring crippling debt that will follow them for the rest of their lives.”

These schools make up the KnowInsiders.com list of the . Notable among the deep-pocketed Ivies and state schools featured on the list is Thomas Aquinas ������ý — the only Catholic school in the United States to be included.

“According to Lendedu, Thomas Aquinas ������ý graduates have an average student loan debt of $19,269,” the report notes. “However, unlike some colleges, there aren’t any other mandatory extra fees that raise the cost of attendance. Thomas Aquinas ������ý constantly looks for ways to help students cut costs. Limiting the amount of loans that students can take out before they are automatically eligible for financial aid from the college is one way it accomplishes this.”

Nationwide, the federal student loan debt is $37,338 per borrower. Yet, by God’s grace, the ������ý asks students receiving financial aid to borrow no more than $19,500 over four years.

Moreover, because the ������ý has a fixed curriculum, most students complete its academic program in just four years, which limits the amount that families must pay — and students must borrow — to cover tuition. The  for American college students is just 47 percent, compared to 77 percent . As a result, the total cost of education at a typical public or private college, even if its tuition rate is nominally lower than the ������ý’s, is oftentimes higher, because students must pay for two to four additional semesters.

“We aim to graduate alumni who can contribute immediately to the Church and to society — as professionals in a wide range of fields, as spouses and parents, and as priests and religious,” says Executive Director of ������ý Relations Chris Weinkopf. “Key to doing that is making sure our graduates are not burdened with excessive debt, which we do through a robust program of financial aid, made possible by many benefactors who are committed to the ������ý’s mission of Catholic liberal education.”

Numerous college guides have praised Thomas Aquinas ������ý for its financial aid program and low student-debt rates. Kiplinger has rated TAC No. 1 among its “Best Value ������ýs.” The Princeton Review gives the ������ý a rating of 96 out of a possible score of 99 for financial aid. And U.S. News & World Report ranks TAC as No. 24 in the United States for social mobility.