Yale waives tuition for families earning under $200,000

Yale tuition-free undergraduate education will soon become a reality for students from families earning up to $200,000 a year, as Yale University announced a major expansion of its financial aid program. The policy will apply to students entering this fall semester, the university said on January 27.

Under the new plan, Yale will waive full undergraduate tuition for students whose families have annual incomes of $200,000 or less. As a result, a significantly broader range of middle-income families will be able to send their children to Yale without paying tuition.

The expansion goes further for lower-income households. Yale said that students from families earning $100,000 or less annually will receive full scholarships covering all education-related expenses. These include tuition, housing, meals, travel, health insurance, and other required academic costs.

Therefore, students from these households will be able to attend Yale without any out-of-pocket expenses tied to their undergraduate education. University officials said the change reflects Yale’s effort to remove financial barriers that prevent talented students from pursuing higher education.

Yale has operated a need-based financial aid system known as “zero parent share” since 2010. Under that model, eligible students receive full coverage of tuition, housing, and meals, along with transportation costs, health insurance premiums, and a $2,000 start-up allowance for initial living expenses.

In addition, Yale officials said the expanded policy builds on more than a decade of institutional investment aimed at increasing socioeconomic diversity on campus. The university expects the new income thresholds to significantly increase the number of families eligible for tuition-free education.

Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of admissions and financial aid at Yale, said the expansion represents a meaningful investment in affordability. He added that the university wants to ensure that promising students do not forgo applying or enrolling because of cost concerns.

“This is an important step in reducing the financial burden of college,” Quinlan said. “We want to make clear Yale’s commitment to ensuring that cost does not stand in the way of students with the ability and motivation to succeed here.”

Yale’s annual cost of attendance currently stands at about $90,000. Despite that figure, about 56 percent of Yale’s undergraduate students already receive financial aid under the existing system.

University officials said the new policy will further strengthen access for middle-class families, while maintaining Yale’s longstanding commitment to need-based support.

BY YOONSEO SONG   [song.yoonseo@koreadaily.com]