UChicago Offers Free Tuition for Families Earning Under $250K

Starting in fall 2027, the University of Chicago will offer free tuition to students whose families earn less than $250,000 annually, “with typical assets,” the university announced Wednesday. Students from families with incomes less than $125,000 will have their housing, meals and fees covered as well.

The previous family income threshold was $125,000 for free tuition and $60,000 for the full aid package, Forbes reported.

“The University of Chicago is proud to sponsor a learning environment characterized by intellectual curiosity, ambition, and rigor, to shape the next generation of great thinkers whose ideas will benefit the American people and the broader world,” said President Paul Alivisatos. “By deepening our commitment to affordability, we are helping to ensure that the brightest minds can join us.”

According to the announcement, the university has doubled its annual expenditure on financial aid since 2011, to $225 million; the average aid package is more than $75,000.

The move is intended to increase pricing transparency and streamline the aid process, officials said.

“At a time when many families are uncertain about what the cost of college means for them, we created this initiative to radically expand and simplify our support for students,” said James Nondorf, vice president for enrollment and student advancement and dean of college admissions and financial aid.

UChicago joins a number of other institutions that have recently increased the income threshold for free tuition, including Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Yale University and the University of Pittsburgh.