For many years, Colorado State University students have speculated about ways one can be rewarded with free tuition. Tuition is undoubtedly expensive, so creative rumors and jokes which inform students how to avoid student loans and hefty bills are often passed around.

One rumor says that if students fall victim to horrific accidents, the school will compensate them with free tuition.

“This sounds bad, but I think I heard at a party that if you’re living in the dorms and your roommate dies in the room, you get free tuition,” said Megan Lefebvre, senior psychology student. “I think I heard it as a joke.” 

Lefebvre also said that she once heard if it’s snowing and a tree branch falls on top of you while walking on campus, the University will compensate you with free tuition. Lefebvre said she wasn’t sure if the rumors she’d heard were actually true, but she said she didn’t think it would be worth it even if they were. 

“I love free tuition,” Lefebvre said. “But, I’d rather nobody got injured.”

Hannah Emery, sophomore biology student, said that she hadn’t personally heard of any free tuition rumors like Lefevbre had mentioned, and she said she doesn’t think the rumors could be true.

“There would be a lot of issues if people actually thought (the rumors were true),” Emery said. “I hope nobody thinks they are.”

Freshman social work student Erica Giuliani said that she had also heard of similar rumors.

“I actually heard that if you step in front of a bus and get hit, you get free tuition,” Giuliani said.

Giuliani said that she didn’t think the rumor was true, but that it’d be cool if it was.

“I’d jump in front of the bus,” Giuliani said. “Not seriously, of course, but I’d think about it.”

Joe Donlay, the interim director of the Office of Financial Aid, debunked the validity of such rumors.

“I can absolutely confirm that those are just rumors,” Donlay said. “And, like many rumors, those are not healthy or productive messages,” 

Donlay said that even if a student were to get into a freak accident or get seriously injured on campus, the University wouldn’t be able to compensate them with free attendance.

“Tuition is not free,” Donlay said.

Donlay also said that he’d like to stress to students that a rumor is a rumor, and to not to put themselves in unnecessary danger just to avoid paying for school.

“It’s an old rumor,” Donlay said. “It seems that it crops up around campus — a lot of campuses actually — from time to time. And I would like to stress to students that tuition isn’t free.”

Donlay also said that instead of students putting themselves in danger, they should look for other options to pay their tuition.

“If students have questions about how to address their tuition bill or discuss their financial options … come and visit us at the Office of Financial Aid,” Donlay said. 

Ceci Taylor can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @cecelia_twt.