Washington’s Whitman Caps Tuition at 10% of Income

Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., announced Saturday that students will not pay more than 10 percent of their family’s annual income in tuition.

Students whose families earn $100,000 or less will receive scholarships covering the full cost of tuition, which is $68,692 for the 2026–27 academic year. According to the Whitman 10% Promise calculator, a student whose family earns $150,000 a year would pay no more than $15,000 in tuition. With food, housing and books factored in, their total cost of attendance would be $32,928 per year. 

“The current financial aid system is a hassle for families. It can be really confusing and opaque, and many families feel left out,” Adam Miller, vice president for admission and financial aid, said in a college blog post. “Understanding the cost of college should not take months or create additional stress, and we are committed to doing everything we can to make it simpler and easier for students and families to engage with financial aid from the first moment they encounter Whitman.”

To determine each student’s tuition price, Whitman uses the family’s adjusted gross income as reported on the student’s FAFSA. Federal grants and merit-based scholarships will contribute to the scholarship that fulfills the 10 percent promise, according to the Whitman website. Students may apply federal loans and work-study awards to additional costs such as housing and food. If a student receives enough merit-based or talent scholarships to exceed the 10 percent promise tuition scholarship, they will pay an even lower tuition fee, the website states.