Tufts University to become tuition-free for families making less than $150K
Tufts University will be tuition-free for undergraduate students whose families make less than $150,000 a year in fall 2026, according to a Tuesday announcement.
"The cost of higher education continues to be a major concern for families across the country," Tufts University President Sunil Kumar told Tufts Now. "By covering tuition for students from families earning under $150,000, we're not only easing that burden — we're sending a clear message that Tufts is committed to meeting the full need of all its students."
The tuition-free program, called the Tufts Tuition Pact, was born in part from the generations of donors who have made gifts to support student financial aid. It is offered to only U.S. families.
The announcement comes after Harvard said it would cover tuition for families earning $200,000 or less and a steady stream of other institutions have announced tuition-free programs.
Tufts already meets all of the demonstrated needs of every admitted student. Students with a family income of less than $60,000 a year typically receive financial aid packages with no loans and the university is attempting to increase its percentage of Pell-eligible students — growing from 11% of enrollment to 16% over the past two years, according to the school.
The average student debt post-graduation from Tufts is under $15,000.
"The Tufts Tuition Pact continues our longstanding efforts to minimize the need for undergraduate student loans by increasing financial aid scholarships and grants," Kumar said in his letter to the school.
More Higher Ed
Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
