The Liberty Letter

Fall is one of the most inspiring times on campus.

New students are beginning their first semester, returning students are reconnecting and preparing for another year of study, and Charger athletes are back on the field, ready for a new season.

Convocation is a special highlight of a new student’s first week, when faculty and staff come together to welcome them to campus.

At this ceremony, every new student pledges to uphold the honor code, which the following excerpt captures:

A Hillsdale College student is honorable in conduct, honest in word and deed, dutiful in study and service, and respectful of the rights of others. Through education, the student rises to self-government.

Hillsdale is unique in developing not just our students’ minds but also their hearts. It’s one of my favorite parts about working here at the College.

The truth is, the College’s commitment to students mirrors the commitment of friends like you to Hillsdale.

Because of supporters like you, this work thrives. You open the door to student scholarships, support dedicated professors, and help maintain the facilities where learning flourishes year-round.

And your generosity does so much more. 

The support of informed patriots like you extends our educational reach far beyond our campus in southern Michigan. 

• You help send seven million copies of Imprimis, our digest of liberty, ten times a year. That means you give millions the best commentary on our country’s political issues. 
• You fund our more than 40 free online courses, with nearly five million students enrolled. You’re helping others continue their education in history, literature, philosophy, and faith absolutely free. 
• You help teach thousands of schoolchildren about America’s great heritage of liberty through the dozens of Hillsdale-affiliated schools nationwide.
  

…and more. 

All of this great work is made possible by generous giving. 

As you know, Hillsdale refuses all government funding—even indirectly through federal or state student loans and grants—so we can stay true to our shared mission both on campus and in our nationwide educational outreach.

Hillsdale’s financial independence from the government means we depend on supporters like you. I am so grateful. 

Just as our new students have committed to being dutiful in study and service, and to being respectful of the rights of others, Hillsdale remains committed to stewarding your gifts faithfully.

Beyond what we’ve already discussed, be sure to read the articles below. 

Each is a story of the impact on our campus and around the country, and how we steward the generous gifts you give.

You’ll read about the freshman class, our A+ ranking from Forbes, our stellar ranking from the Princeton Review, and the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program, made possible entirely by generous giving.

Everything you see in these articles is a testament to the generosity of friends like you. Remember, YOU make our work possible: thank you!

If there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to reach out. I’d be happy to get to know you better and welcome you further into our Hillsdale community.

Warm regards,

Brett Smiley
Executive Director of Gift and Estate Planning
Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College welcomed the class of 2029 to campus at Freshman Convocation on Aug. 24. Incoming freshman and their families attended, along with College faculty.

The class of 2029 includes 385 students, representing 40 states, the District of Columbia, and ten foreign countries. Preliminary statistics indicate an average 3.95 GPA and 19% admit rate, with 61% of admitted students choosing to attend Hillsdale, a yield rate among the highest in the country.

“These students are ready and willing to meet the challenge of a Hillsdale education, and we are excited to welcome them to campus,” said Provost Christopher VanOrman. “The things they learn over the next four years will help them grow into men and women of character who are capable of virtuous self-government and ready to serve those around them.”

The ceremony began with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and music from the Hillsdale College Chamber Choir. Seniors Alba Isabel Blanco Padron and Matthew Riehle addressed the incoming freshmen.

Padrón described how narrow escapes from communism and an encounter with Jesus ultimately led her from Venezuela to Hillsdale, after she had tried and failed for three years to pursue her dream of attending college. She challenged the incoming class to grow in their willingness to do the hard thing and in humility.

“In coming here, I have come to accept that I depend on others—on my friends who are willing to move me in and out of dorms every single semester, on my family who tirelessly cheer me in chasing my dreams, and on God when my strength fails,” Padron said. “I won’t tell you that it has been easy or that I have done it perfectly. In fact, I’ll tell you quite the contrary: college is really, really hard. It has been the most daunting and difficult of endeavors that I’ve undertaken, but it has also been one of the sweetest.”

Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn addressed new students, their families, and College faculty.

“There’s a reason why a college is called that—that’s a word that means partnership,” Dr. Arnn said. “It turns out we are the most independent beings on earth, and we are also the most connected beings on earth. Our central faculty, the one most in respect of which we are created in the image of God, means both thinking and talking. And when we do that together, we think and we talk better. And so we need each other, and therefore we will be civil to each other, and we will cultivate friendship with each other.” Before students and parents went to separate dinner parties, the freshman class agreed to uphold the Hillsdale College Matriculation Pledge and recited it in unison:

We, the students of Hillsdale College, commit ourselves to diligent study and patient reflection. Having come to learn, we are proud to do so with integrity and will conduct ourselves with exemplary honor. As sacrifices past and present make possible our education, we too become stewards of this College for the generations yet to come. We pledge ourselves to the pursuit of truth, the love of the good, and the cultivation of beauty, for the sake of our minds and hearts and for an ennobled society. By so doing, we embrace the high calling of liberal education.

Later in the week, incoming students attended lectures on the Hillsdale College Honor Code and academic honesty.

All incoming Hillsdale College students sign the Honor Code, which reads,
A Hillsdale College student is honorable in conduct, honest in word and deed, dutiful in study and service, and respectful of the rights of others. Through education, the student rises to self-government.

Freshmen also attended the Student Activities Board Welcome Party and a freshman and faculty dessert reception hosted by Dr. and Mrs. Arnn.

Hillsdale College received an A+ in the 2025 Forbes College Financial Grades, with a perfect GPA of 4.50 for financial health.

“It’s no surprise to me that we’re ranked so highly, because we have to work harder to raise the money that replaces that federal support, and we have to work harder to make sure to steward that investment—that trust in us,” said Bill Gray, vice president of advancement at Hillsdale College.

This year’s list covered 868 private not-for-profit colleges with more than 500 full-time students. Forbes used data from the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics to assess the colleges’ financial health and operational soundness. Hillsdale was one of 51 schools to receive an A+ and one of only 20 to receive a perfect GPA of 4.50, ranking third overall.

The rankings were based on endowment assets, primary reserve ratio, viability ratio, core operating margin, tuition as a percentage of core revenues, return on assets, admissions yield, percent of freshman getting grant aid, and instruction expenses. Hillsdale has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8-to-1 and an average of 14 students per 3-4 credit course.

“With an excellent student-to-faculty ratio of eight-to-one and an average class size of 14 students, the actual cost of a Hillsdale education is around $100,000,” said John Cervini, executive vice president for institutional advancement. “Due to the generosity of College alumni and friends, Hillsdale College students are able to enjoy an exceptional liberal arts education for a little over $48,000, and many students are not even paying that.”

Hillsdale is independent of taxpayer funding and relies on private donations to replace all forms of state and federal aid. In the 1970s, the federal government demanded that Hillsdale count its students by race on the pretext that some received federal loans. Hillsdale resolved to continue its policy of nondiscrimination and “resist, by all legal means, any encroachments on its independence.” When the Supreme Court upheld the government’s demands in 1984, Hillsdale had already decided to replace all federal student aid with private contributions.

Hillsdale is currently constructing a building for its Diana Davis Spencer Graduate School of Classical Education and renovating its library and student union, among other projects.

“When we’re building buildings at Hillsdale, it means that we’re serving the purpose of the College, and we’re very deliberate about that, and we’re very deliberate about how we convey that to donors. We want to make sure that we’re good stewards of their resources, and we want to make sure that the college doesn’t have debt. People give money to Hillsdale College because they love the same things we love,” said Rich Péwé, chief administrative officer and secretary to the Board of Trustees.

Seventeen Hillsdale College students are in the nation’s capital for the fall semester as a part of the College’s Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program. Through the program, students participate in full-time internships while taking evening classes on Hillsdale’s D.C. campus.

“WHIP challenges students to balance professional and academic life while taking advantage of all that D.C. has to offer,” said Dorothy Roland, Hillsdale in D.C.’s undergraduate program coordinator. “WHIP students get to see firsthand how the things they study at Hillsdale apply in the real world.”

WHIP students are interning for the America First Policy Institute, the American Legislative Exchange Council, the Conservative Partnership Institute, The Heritage Foundation, the House Judiciary Committee, Pacific Legal Foundation, the White House, and the offices of Reps. Jim Jordan and Young Kim and Sens. Ted Cruz and Ron Johnson.

Juniors and seniors of all majors can participate in the program. This year’s WHIP class included students majoring in politics, history, philosophy, economics, rhetoric, religion, and biology.

While on WHIP, students take two or three evening classes taught by both Hillsdale College professors and distinguished fellows who live and work in Washington, D.C., including Mollie Hemingway, editor-in-chief of The Federalist. WHIP offers classes in English, politics, economics, history, law, journalism, and more.

If you’re looking for a strategic way to support Hillsdale College’s mission—and enjoy significant tax benefits in the process—a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA may be just the answer.

As one generous Hillsdale supporter recently put it:

“I love knowing that when I give directly from my IRA to Hillsdale College, not only did I put money into my IRA tax free when I was working, and not only did it grow tax free all this time, but now I can give it tax free to the best college in the country, and as a 501(c)(3) they don’t pay a penny of tax on it either. That’s a WIN four times over!”

When you give directly from your IRA to Hillsdale College, you’re helping to educate principled leaders, publish Imprimis to millions of homes, provide free online courses to Americans across the country, and support K-12 classical education—all without ONE PENNY of government funding.

Here’s how a QCD works:

• You must be 70½ or older to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution.
• You may transfer up to $108,000 per year (or $216,000 for married couples) to qualified institutions, such as Hillsdale.
• The gift must be made directly from your IRA to Hillsdale College.
• The amount you give does not count as taxable income, which may reduce your overall tax burden—even if you don’t itemize.
• If you are 73 or older, your QCD counts toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).

Put simply, this is a smart, impactful way to give. You use pre-tax dollars that have grown tax-free and can now support one of the most important institutions in American life—without paying taxes on the gift and without triggering income tax liability.

Whether you’re passionate about restoring constitutional government, equipping young people with a classical education, or defending liberty through truth-centered teaching, a QCD helps you make an immediate and lasting impact.

Together, we can preserve the principles that made America great and keep Hillsdale College free and flourishing for generations to come.

You can download a sample letter for your IRA administrator here to start the distribution process. You can also request a qualified charitable distribution through your online account portal.

Please note that if you are still working and contributing to a retirement account, this gift could affect your taxable income. Please consult a qualified advisor before making a gift.

You can contact us for more information, and we would be happy to help.