Facing upcoming challenges in maintaining their enrollments, more colleges and universities are introducing new offers to freeze tuition or make it free for certain students for next year.
In November, leading universities like MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Texas and Brandeis announced free tuition programs for undergraduates meeting certain income requirements.
Although the eligibility requirements differed from institution to institution, the plans all expanded the four schools’ existing financial aid programs dramatically, suggesting that the upcoming admission cycle could be a particularly competitive one as universities push to make higher education more affordable for an increasing number of students.
Also in November, Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent a letter to Texas public colleges and universities prohibiting college tuition increases for next year. “Last year, I signed a law that prohibits increasing undergraduate tuition and fees for both the 2023-24 and the 2024-25 academic years. As this tuition freeze expires, let me be clear: I will not support any tuition increase at any public higher education institution in the upcoming biennium,” read the letter.
On the heels of those announcements, several more institutions have come forward this month with new tuition deals. Here’s a quick rundown of the latest developments.
Tuition Freezes
On December 19, the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities governing board voted to approve a tuition freeze at its campuses for the 2025-26 academic year. The decision affects the systems’ four Connecticut State Universities, the campuses of the Connecticut State Community College and Charter Oak State College.
“Freezing tuition rates for CSCU students is part of our shared North Star for ensuring our colleges and universities remain accessible and affordable for all,” Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Chancellor Terrence Cheng said in a press release. “This tuition freeze will only make it easier for our students to learn here, stay here, and earn their degree here.”
This week the University of Arizona announced it would not increase tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduates for the 2025-26 academic year.
“As our state’s flagship, land-grant university, the University of Arizona mission includes the responsibility to provide broad access to an affordable world-class education,” said UA President Suresh Garimella in a press release. “By maintaining our current resident undergraduate tuition and fees, we are working to prevent financial barriers to academic opportunity. Our goal is to ensure our students graduate ready to shape a brighter future for their families, for Arizona and beyond.”
Lander University, a public institution in South Carolina, announced that its tuition will remain frozen for the 10th consecutive year. For the 2025-26 academic year, in-state undergraduate students will continue to pay $10,700 annually.
“Lander University wants to keep a high-quality education within reach for the thousands of students who attend,” said Lander President Richard Cosentino. “Continuing to freeze tuition allows our students to focus on what’s important: preparing for their future.”
Wayland Baptist University, a private institution in Plainview, Texas announced this month it would implement a university-wide tuition freeze for the 2025-2026 academic year.
“We hear you,” said Wayland Baptist President Donna Hedgepath in the announcement of the decision. “We understand the financial worries that keep students and parents up at night. This decision is about keeping dreams within reach and showing our community that we truly care.”
The decision applies to all tuition categories, online and in-person, and includes undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees.
Free Tuition Programs
Also this week, Reed College, a highly regarded private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon, announced that it will offer tuition-free education for newly admitted Oregon and Washington students whose annual family income is less than $100,000. The offer is also good for transfer students from around the U.S.
“Our graduates leave Reed College ready to make significant contributions to society by tackling some of the biggest challenges facing our world,” said Reed College President Audrey Bilger, in the college’s press release. “I am excited to implement this initiative that will allow even more students to access Reed’s multidisciplinary academic program and join our vibrant community.”
Beginning with the Fall 2025 semester, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth will begin the Dartmouth Deal. It will cover tuition, mandatory fees and college fees for a maximum of four years of full-time undergraduate study for resident students from families with a household Adjusted Gross Income of $75,000 or less. To be eligible, students must also have a minimum 2.7 high school grade point average or equivalent combination of high school GPA and SAT/ACT test scores. The University of Massachusetts Boston unveiled a similar program in October with its Beacon Pledge.
The new tuition deals come at a time when higher education faces the prospects of a declining pool of high school graduates, the main source of college applicants. They are ramping up their offers to try to lure as many applicants as possible.
Next year is when the number of high school graduates peaks and then begins to decrease, a slide often referred to as the “demographic cliff.” Colleges are bracing for the hard reality that they will see a prolonged decline in high school students, resulting in about 13% fewer graduates by 2041.