Rice to Give Free Tuition to Students From Families Earning $200K or Less

Rice University in Houston is expanding its free tuition program, the university announced in a news release Monday.  

Beginning in the fall of 2027, new students from families earning between $100,000 and $200,000 annually will receive free tuition. Additionally, students from families earning less than $100,000 annually will receive full coverage of tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board.

According to the university’s website, the sticker price for undergraduate tuition for the upcoming academic year is $65,280 for all continuing students beyond their third year and $71,140 for first-, second- and third-year students. Room and board is $20,530 and mandatory fees are $984 for all undergraduates.

The new family income thresholds expand the university’s existing financial aid program, Rice Investment, which launched in 2019 and currently covers tuition, mandatory fees, room and board for students from families earning $75,000 or less. Free tuition is also provided to students from families earning between $75,000 and $140,000.

The expanded scope of the program was made possible through philanthropic donations, university officials said.

“At many universities, families with middle or upper-middle incomes often assume they will not qualify for meaningful financial aid,” Yvonne Romero, vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid, said in the news release. “This expansion changes that conversation and simplifies the criteria. We want students and families to know that cost should not discourage them from considering Rice.”