Christian, Oklahoma based, Oral Roberts University has announced it has wiped out more than $500,000 in student debt.

Oral Roberts University, named after the eponymous televangelist, announced this week the cancellation of the debts of more than 646 qualified students living on campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Many of these students noticed that their accounts currently had a balance of 0 dollars, offering them a fresh start as the new semester begins.

The relief was provided by ORU's portion of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), which was provided to the university through the American Rescue Plan. The students who received relief were specifically picked based on whether their debts would severely hinder their ability to pursue an education.

ORU President William M. Wilson proclaimed in a press release. "We were able to take over $500,000 of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds given to us as institutional aid to directly help our students in this way. This is in addition to several millions of dollars ORU students have received from the government in other COVID relief funds over the last year. We are always mindful of the cost of a college education, which is why at ORU, we are committed to the value of our educational model. We are grateful to have this occasion to assist so many students in their journey to become Whole Leaders for the Whole World."

Alison Vujnovic, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management - Residential, echoed President Wilson's excitement about this opportunity. "For these qualified students, this was great news. This development came at a time when many students remained undecided about college. Now, this roadblock is removed, and they can continue their academic journey." 

Wilson used the opportunity to proclaim the school's affordability." ORU continues to be one of the most affordable universities in the nation, and all of our capital improvements come from donations, not student tuition," 

Much of this was influenced by Wilson's own experience with school debt over the years." As a person who has paid for multiple university degrees myself, I realize that student debt is a severe problem for many young people," he stated. "We are doing everything we can to assist our students financially and we are thrilled to erase this over half a million dollars from student accounts owed to the university."

ORU is currently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 Best Value Regional College in the West.