Education for the Public Good Freedom to Serve

By Rev. Stultz Costello, UMHEF President & CEO

A recent article by leaders in higher education highlighted a growing reality: colleges and universities are increasingly asked to define their value in economic terms—career outcomes, earnings potential, and workforce alignment. These are important measures, reflecting real concerns from students, families, and policymakers alike.

And yet, they are not the whole story.

For generations, higher education has also been understood as a public good: forming not only professionals, but citizens; not only workers, but leaders; not only individuals seeking success, but communities seeking flourishing.

At the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation (UMHEF), this broader vision animates our mission. The United Methodist Social Principles echo this conviction, affirming that education should be accessible, equitable, and oriented toward the well-being of the whole community.

One of the most powerful—and often overlooked—ways to strengthen the public good is this: graduating students with as little debt as possible.

Debt shapes decisions.

It influences the work graduates feel free to pursue, where they are able to live, and how they engage their communities. It can narrow horizons, pressing even the most gifted and committed students toward what is immediately sustainable rather than what is deeply needed.

But the opposite is also true.

When students are supported by scholarships—when financial burdens are eased—they gain a different kind of freedom: freedom to choose service-oriented careers, to invest in their communities, and to lead with courage rather than constraint.

At UMHEF, we see this freedom taking shape in real lives.

We see it in graduates who step into ministry, education, healthcare, and nonprofit leadership—not because these paths are the most lucrative, but because they align with their sense of calling. We see it in young professionals who bring both excellence and compassion to their work, and in alumni who remain deeply engaged in their communities.

This is a shared endeavor. For faculty and institutional partners, it is a reminder that teaching and mentoring shape not just careers, but lives of purpose. For UMHEF trustees and funding partners, it is a clear truth: generosity creates possibility. Every scholarship is more than financial support—it is an investment in the kind of leadership our communities need.

The fruits of this shared purpose reach into classrooms, churches, clinics, boardrooms, and neighborhoods. They are carried forward in daily acts of leadership and service, shaping a more just, hopeful, and connected world over time.

That is the promise of education for the public good.

And it is a promise we are honored to support—together.

Learn more about UMHEF’s mission.

Resources:
Higher Education Must Be Rebuilt to Restore Public Trust
UMCJustice.org
The Right of All to Quality Education
Education: The Gift of Hope