My father-in-law had a well-known saying. You know the kind. When the words are spoken, everyone around the table moans, rolls their eyes, and completes the saying. In my father-in-law’s case, it was: “I would give the last shirt off my back…to send my child to a Christian university.”

There are layers of history and meaning in that statement—a history of sacrifice, value and commitment. My father- and mother-in-law were graduates of a Christian university; he paid for his four children to attend a Christian university; and, he set up a fund to assist his grandchildren to follow in their steps.

As I write these remarks, I’m thinking of the families of faith of this generation—parents who have children that are seniors in high school. As well-trained American consumers, we tend to be focused on cost as we begin our process of college selection. I want to suggest we should do more than count cost in dollars—we should determine value. The cheapest is seldom the best.

This is the time of year when families gather around the table and look at college expenses. I want you to know I am praying for you as you gather ’round that table. We are committed to keeping the NNU experience excellent and affordable. As you weigh options, I hope you will do so with a sense that the decision reached is an investment in the years of a life.

I encourage parents to think about investing in the value of their child’s future. Good investments appreciate over time. My expenditure in my children’s college is a continuation of the investment I already made—my care, my values, my priorities and my faith have become a part of who they are. I want to invest in a university that will honor these values and continue what I have started while providing my children with an educational experience that focuses on the whole person—heart, soul, mind and strength.

NNU has ordered its institutional priorities to partner with you in investing in your child. Our team assesses academic promise, family need, travel and life circumstances, and then creates a customized financial aid award package.

I hope you will enter into a partnership with Northwest Nazarene University. If you do, we pledge to provide an affordable aid package that will yield dividends for a lifetime. Please call on our staff in Admissions and Financial Aid for guidance and assistance in this once-in-a-lifetime decision. Let us help you send your child to Northwest Nazarene University!