Several prestigious universities, including MIT, the University of Texas System, and Carnegie Mellon, have announced free tuition initiatives for undergraduates from families meeting specific income criteria, starting in fall 2025. This move aims to make higher education more accessible amid rising college costs and growing student debt concerns. MIT will offer free tuition for families earning under $200,000, while the University of Texas System will cover tuition for families earning $100,000 or less. These initiatives reflect a broader effort to address college affordability and attract students amid declining enrollment and skepticism about the value of a college degree.
The University of Texas System will expand its free tuition program to cover families earning $100,000 or less annually, starting in fall 2025. This initiative, part of the Promise Plus program, aims to reduce student debt and increase access to higher education across its nine universities and five health institutions. The expansion follows a successful endowment program at UT Austin and reflects a broader trend in American higher education, with institutions like MIT also eliminating tuition for lower-income families.
Four prestigious universities, including Carnegie Mellon, MIT, the University of Texas, and Brandeis University, have announced new or expanded free tuition programs for undergraduates from families meeting specific income criteria. These initiatives aim to make higher education more accessible and affordable, with varying income thresholds and benefits. The University of Texas will offer free tuition to students from families earning $100,000 or less, while MIT will extend free tuition to those from families earning under $200,000. Carnegie Mellon and Brandeis have also introduced similar programs, reflecting a broader trend towards increasing financial aid and reducing student debt.
The Montefiore Albert Einstein School of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, has received a historic $1 billion donation, allowing for free tuition for all medical school students. This marks the largest donation to any medical school in the United States and aims to attract a diverse pool of students who may not have had the means to pursue a medical education. The donation is expected to have a significant impact on the community, as doctors educated at the school may choose to work there, benefiting an area with high poverty and health challenges.
Dr. Ruth Gottesman, 93, donated a historic $1 billion to NYC's Albert Einstein College of Medicine, ensuring free tuition for all current and future medical students. The donation, one of the largest to any medical school in the US, will cover tuition for students in the Bronx's poorest borough and has an immediate effect on current fourth-year students. Gottesman's late husband, a Wall Street powerhouse, enabled this generous contribution, and she has a long history of philanthropy and involvement with the school.
Radford University in Virginia has announced the Radford Tuition Promise program, offering free tuition to many of its in-person undergraduate students. The initiative covers all tuition costs for Virginia residents with a family adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less, potentially benefiting over half of the university's current students. Prospective students must apply and be admitted for fall 2024, submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, and have a Student Aid Index of less than $15,000. The program aims to remove financial barriers and provide better access to a four-year degree for students in need.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has launched MassReconnect, a program that offers free community college to residents over the age of 25. The program, which received $20 million in funding for its first year, aims to support between 6,500 and 8,000 students in its initial year and up to 10,000 in the second year. To qualify, students must enroll in at least six credits per semester in an approved program of study leading to an associate degree or certificate and complete the Free Application for Student Aid. Governor Healey believes that MassReconnect will transform the lives of thousands of students, strengthen community colleges as economic drivers, and help break cycles of intergenerational poverty.
