Tuition
There is no tuition. Please read on to find out why.
The Bhaktivedanta College is following as closely as possible the traditional gurukula system of Lord Krsna's eternal Vedic culture as outlined in Manusmriti. According to sastra the law is that no fixed tuition is charged to students and anyone who transgresses this law becomes an outcaste from society: http://www.bhaktivedantacollege.org/bvc_site/schools_admissions/tuition.html
"Slaying cattle,... adultery, selling
oneself, casting off one's teacher, mother, father, or son,... defiling a
damsel,... selling... one's wife, or child, teaching (the Veda) for wages, learning (the Veda) from a paid teacher... and atheism (are all) offences, causing loss of caste." Manusmriti 11.60-67.
Manu, the lawgiver of mankind, has equated the teaching of Vedic knowledge for wages or learning from a paid teacher with such monstrous crimes
as cow killing, adultery, rape, selling one's own family members into
slavery, and above all atheism. These heinous acts result in becoming an
outcaste from Krsna's Vedic culture in this life and untold karmic
retribution for many lifetimes afterward.It should be noted that by "Veda" is included; Vedangas like jyotish and vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar); Upavedas like vastu, ayurveda, gandharvaveda (music), and dhanurveda; Puranas, Itihasa, Pancaratrika Agamas, Vedanta, Mimamsa or any literature that pursues the Vedic version of paravidya and aparavidya.
Vedic culture if it is to be effective and to survive must be taught in the Vedic way.
A.C. Bhativedanta Swami Prabhupada, the greatest exponent of Lord Krsna's Vedic culture in modern times, has spoken many times that fees are never to be charged for teaching any type of Vedic knowledge.In Lord Krsna's Vedic culture rather than paying a fixed tuition the students are responsible for the upkeep of the school by a combination of personally contributing donations (dakshine) to the best of their ability at the end of their studies as requested by the guru, and by performing seva (service) during their studies.
In Krsna's Vedic culture knowledge is freely given to qualified students but the student was expected to reciprocate by helping to maintain his teacher's ashrama by financial contribution and physical labor. It is recorded in the Srimad Bhagavatam 10th canto that even Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when He resided in the ashrama of His teacher Sandipani Muni, would perform menial services such as going into the forest to collect firewood. And, at the end of His studies gave the dakshine His guru requested.
While we do not expect our students to risk their lives by going into the tiger infested jungles to collect firewood, still there are many services that need to be rendered. And, students will be expected to do the needful when requested.
Students are required to pay for any texts and materials required in the courses, as well as any administrative fees (small) charged by the BVC. We charge a modest application fee of $35.00 to discourage frivolous applicants.
