University of Texas, MIT and others offer free tuition for some students

Nearly a half-dozen higher education institutions separately announced plans this week to make tuition free for students who meet certain income requirements, reflecting a growing nationwide effort to make college more affordable.

The schools span states from Massachusetts to New Mexico and include some of the nation’s top universities. They all announced their initiatives within a few days of each other. And while specific financial requirements for current applicants vary by school, they are all set to take effect in fall 2025.

MIT Cambridge, for example, says students with family incomes below $200,000 will be able to attend tuition free starting next year, up from the current threshold of $140,000. In its announcement, it said 80% of American households meet the updated threshold.

“The cost of college is a real challenge for all families, and we are committed to making this transformative educational experience accessible to the brightest students, regardless of their financial situation,” said President Sally Kornbluth. “So, to every student dreaming of going to MIT: don’t let cost concerns get in your way.”

The University of Texas system, located nearly 2,000 miles away, announced that students at any of its nine academic institutions whose families earn $100,000 or less will receive free tuition and fees.

“It is important to all of us to be able to ensure that our students can attend UT institutions without increasing debt, and while we are here, we will continue our work to provide an affordable and accessible education for all. who have decided to attend UT,” Kevin Eltiff, chairman of the Board of Regents, said in a statement.

In the 2024-2025 school year, the average price of a college ticket, which covers tuition and fees before scholarships and other aid, increased by about 5.5% for private schools and about 2.3% for public schools, according to the company. US News and World Report.

The average in-state public college tuition and fees this year is $11,011, compared to $24,513 for out-of-state students. The average cost of tuition at private colleges is $43,505.

The flurry of announcements comes as a growing number of Americans seem to be wondering whether college is worth the money.

This year saw a decline in freshman enrollment and an increase in the number of applicants at least at some schools – a sign that young people these days may be less interested in going to college.

A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that only one in four American adults believe it is critical to have a four-year college degree to get a well-paying job these days, and only 22% cite the cost of earning a four-year degree. A year’s college education is worth it, even if some have to take out loans.

Americans owe about $1.6 trillion in student loan debt as of June of this year, up 42% from a decade ago, according to the Pew Research Center. Thirty-six percent of adults under age 40 with at least a four-year college degree have outstanding student loan debt.

President Biden’s efforts to provide student loan relief remain largely tied up in the courts, and the future of federal forgiveness is even more uncertain under President-elect Donald Trump.

Free tuition is one way some colleges are trying to attract wary potential applicants. All of the schools that announced free tuition this week acknowledged the high cost of college and the role they can play in making it affordable.

Here’s a look at the initiatives:

University of Texas System

The UT System will cover tuition and fees for students whose families earn $100,000 or less after its board voted to send $35 million — from donations and other resources — directly to all nine universities.

In a statement, officials said the move makes the UT system “the first in Texas and one of few in the U.S. to offer such extensive financial assistance.” It is one of the largest public university systems in the country, with more than 256,000 students enrolled in academic and health care institutions.

Eligible students must be Texas residents, enrolled in a full-time undergraduate program, and have applied for qualifying federal and state financial aid.

Officials describe this week’s announcement as another step in their efforts to ensure that “every qualified Texan who wants to earn a bachelor’s degree from UT can do so, regardless of financial circumstances.”

In 2019, the Regents established a fund to cover the cost of tuition at UT Austin for in-state students from families with incomes up to $65,000. In 2022, they expanded this program to all UT academic institutions.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

MIT says tuition will be free for students whose families earn less than $200,000 a year.

And for those whose families earn less than $100,000, “parents can choose to pay nothing at all toward the full cost of their students’ MIT education”—meaning the school will cover not only tuition, but also room, board, fees, and benefits for books. and personal expenses. That threshold will rise to $75,000 this year.

MIT says the average cost of tuition without financial aid is about $86,000, although most students pay an average of $12,938 per year.

The school is one of the few in the United States that does not consider applicants’ ability to pay as part of the admissions process, one of a number of steps it says it is taking to make an MIT education more affordable.

“Thanks to the need-based financial aid we provide today, our education is now much more affordable than at any time in the past, even though the ‘price’ of MIT is higher now than when I was a student,” said Stu Schmill, dean of admissions and student financial services, class of 1986.

Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh says students from families earning less than $75,000 a year will be able to attend tuition-free starting in 2025 thanks to a new CMU Pathway program.

Additionally, students from families earning less than $100,000 per year “will have the opportunity to continue their studies without the burden of federal student loans.”

Eligible students are new and returning students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and whose families have assets typical of their income, officials say.

“We want every student who earns a place at CMU to be able to join us and succeed regardless of financial resources or their family’s socioeconomic status,” said President Farnam Jahanian. “The CMU Pathway program represents our largest investment in realizing this powerful concept.”

The university said it increased its investment in student financial aid from $76 million in 2015 to $141 million in 2024, and the percentage of CMU students receiving federal loans decreased from 52% in 2019 to 28% in 2024.

St John’s College

St. John’s College—the third-oldest college in the country with campuses in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico—says it will soon cover tuition for students from families who earn $75,000 or less .

“U.S. citizens and permanent residents who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), showing gross income of $75,000 or less and having typical assets, are guaranteed to receive institutional and federal grants equal to or greater than the cost of freshman year tuition . ,” officials announced this week.

These grants will remain the same after the first year of study unless there is a change in income or assets, they added. Students may also be eligible for grants, loans, and work opportunities to reduce housing and food costs, depending on individual financial need.

The college previously raised more than $326 million to cut tuition by a third in 2018—undergraduate tuition this academic year costs $39,356.

“St. John’s has benefited from the unwavering commitment of our alumni and friends,” said St. John’s College of Santa Fe President J. Walter Sterling. “Their generous philanthropic support has been critical to maintaining the excellence and integrity of our academic programs and expanding the scholarships needed to keep our doors wide open to students from all backgrounds.”

Brandeis University

Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, announced a new financial aid initiative called the Brandeis Commitment.

Beginning next fall, incoming students from families with a total income of less than $75,000 per year will receive grants and scholarships covering the full cost of attendance, and students from families with an income of less than $200,000 per year will receive grants and scholarships equal to 50% from the cost of training.

Tuition for the current academic year will be about $67,000, according to the university.

In its announcement, Brandeis said students do not need to complete an additional application for the program — their participation in the program will be considered when applying for financial aid.

The program is not available to returning, international and graduate students, although Brandeis emphasizes that it will still meet 100% of the demonstrated needs of all current and future students.

“The Brandeis commitment will provide more clarity to prospective students and their families who want to better understand what aid they will receive before applying,” said Jennifer Walker, dean of admissions.

Copyright: NPR 2024