Lower income in-state undergraduate students planning to enroll in the University of Connecticut will study free starting next year.
Under the Connecticut Commitment, the university with make tuition free for students with an annual household income of $50,000 or below.
The initiative will benefit students from underrepresented minority groups, students of color and first-generation college students, who cant afford to pay for college.
“Our goal goes beyond affordability,” said Nathan Fuerst, UConn vice president for enrollment planning and management. “This initiative will also provide transparency and better predictability for parents and prospective students as they go through the admissions and financial aid processes, which run many months.”
The university has re-allocated resources and launched a fundraising campaign to support the initiative.
Incoming freshmen and transfer students who remain in good academic standing and meet the income qualifications will be eligible to receive financial aid for a period of four years.
“This is critical for the future prosperity of Connecticut,” President Thomas C. Katsouleas said. “To keep our brightest, most talented and most diverse human capital in Connecticut, we must continue to offer as many of them as possible a high quality and affordable education in their state.”