The Mycenaean

Since 2000, the price of tuition at public 4-year colleges has increased by over 84%. The median household income has increased by only 15.7%. 

While higher education is an excellent opportunity for students to expand their academic knowledge and explore many different fields and career opportunities, the financial burden of college prohibits thousands of students from receiving a higher education. 

Many schools offer programs for select students to attend university tuition free, including:

Top Ranked 

1. Duke University: North and South Carolinians with family incomes of $150,000 or less or per year or eligible students from military families are able to attend Duke with free tuition. Students with family incomes of $65,000 or less are eligible for free tuition and financial aid for remaining college costs.

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): All students with a family income and assets below $140,000 a year are eligible for free tuition at MIT. 

3. Stanford University: Students with a family income and assets of $150,000 or less are eligible for free tuition at Stanford. 99% of students from families with an annual income of $75,000 to $100,000 qualify for Stanford scholarship aid.

4. Princeton University: Students from families that earn up to $100,000 a year are eligible for free tuition and room and board. Financial aid is available for both domestic and international undergraduate students.

5. Yale University: Students from families earning under $75,000 are eligible for free tuition, fees, housing, travel, food, hospitalization insurance, and a $2,000 grant during their freshman year.

6. Brown University: For students of families earning below $60,000 per year, Brown prioritizes covering the total cost of attendance at university. 

7. Harvard University: Students from families earning less than $85,000, Harvard will cover full tuition costs. Students from families earning between $85,000 and $150,000 will pay up to 10% of their family earnings.

8. Vanderbilt University: The Opportunity Vanderbilt program offers students with a family income of $150,000 or less and select students with a family income over $150,000 full tuition and assistance in housing and other university expenses.

9. Columbia University: Full tuition coverage and a start-up grant of $2,000 for freshmen from families with annual earnings and assets below $150,000 is offered. 

Other Free Colleges

1. Barclay College: All full-time on campus students receive full tuition scholarship worth $20,000
2. Berea College: Students who complete the FAFSA and have good academic records will receive full tuition scholarship.
3. Curtis Institute of Music: all students receive merit-based full tuition scholarships.
4. Texas A&M University: under the Aggie Assurance commitment, all in-state students with a yearly family income of $60,000 or below will receive full tuition and fees covered.
5. Arizona State University: Arizona high school graduates who are Pell Grant-eligible or Native Americans who fit the state residency requirements are eligible for tuition free college under the ASU College Attainment Grant Program.
6. Haskell Indian Nations University: For Native American students with membership in a federally recognized tribe, students can receive tuition free education at Haskell University.
7. University of New Hampshire: New Hampshire residents who complete the FAFSA and are eligible for a Pell Grant have a chance to receive tuition free attendance at the University of New Hampshire.
8. Webb Institute: Domestic students and permanent residents are eligible for full tuition scholarship.

Work based Free Colleges

Some universities allow students to complete a work study program that can cover part or whole college tuition. Schools that offer full tuition for students in work study programs include: 

1. Antioch College
2. Alice Lloyd College
3. College of the Ozarks
4. US Air Force Academy
5. US Coast Guard Academy
6. US Merchant Marine Academy
7. US Military Academy at West Point
8. US Naval Academy
9. Warren Wilson College

While several colleges and universities already offer free or heavily reduced tuition for eligible students, many more schools have pledged their commitment to making their tuition more affordable. “I have been applying to a lot of scholarships in the past few months… scholarships will help me make college more affordable and maybe go to a college I couldn’t afford otherwise,” said Abby Gregory, senior. 

As a part of their Promise Plus program, the University of Texas system including The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas at Arlington,The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of Texas at El Paso, The University of Texas at San Antonio,The University of Texas at Tyler The University of Texas Permian Basin, and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has vowed to waive tuition and all mandatory fees for all students who have an adjusted family income of $100,000 or less beginning in 2025. 

Carnegie Mellon University has announced that they will be expanding their full tuition scholarship offerings from students and families that earn less than $75,000 a year to $100,000 a year under their CMU Pathway Program. Along with this, MIT is expanding their financial aid offerings for full tuition scholarships from offering full tuition scholarships to students from families who earn $140,000 a year or less to $200,000 a year or less.

Starting in the fall of 2025, Brandeis University will cover full tuition for students from families who make up to $75,000 yearly as well as 50% off tuition for students from families who earn $200,000 a year or less through the Brandeis Commitment program. Similarly, the UMass system has announced that they are expanding their full-tuition scholarship programs from covering the cost of tuition for high need families who earn up to $75,000 annually for all universities in the UMass system including  Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell campuses.

For students with financial need seeking to pursue higher education, there are lots of options to alleviate the financial burden of receiving a quality education and opening doors for continued educational and career opportunities. With universities expanding their financial resources and new universities making efforts towards affordable education each year, attending higher education institutions becomes more attainable for thousands of families.