MIT and Brandeis have announced tuition-free programs, joining a growing trend in higher education in Massachusetts.
Four Massachusetts institutions are waiving tuition for families with annual household incomes under a certain amount.
Brandeis University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are the latest schools to announce the move, joining all four University of Massachusetts' campuses and College of the Holy Cross. The institutions will offer free or half tuition for students whose families make less than a certain amount starting in the 2025-2026 academic year.
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Brandeis announced The Brandeis Commitment, a financial aid package that will offer grants and scholarships to cover the full cost of tuition for families with household incomes of less than $75,000 and cover half that cost for families who make up to $200,000.
At MIT, tuition will be free for students whose families make under $200,000, an initiative that will start in the next academic year.
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All four UMass campuses will offer free tuition for Massachusetts students whose families earn $75,000 or less. This will be covered through a combination of federal, state and university-funded financial aid.
UMass President Marty Meehan said the university system has always been very low cost. He said 92% of students from Massachusetts households that make less than $75,000 already had no tuition expenses at UMass campuses.
Last month, Worcester's College of the Holy Cross announced the expansion of their current plan covering student tuition. Students whose families have a total income of $100,00 or less are eligible. The expansion raised this number from $75,000.
Attending college in the Bay State can be expensive. Earlier this year, two Boston area schools broke $90,000 in annual student costs -- Wellesley College and Boston University. These costs include tuition, books, food and housing.
But Brandeis wasn't too far behind, with costs up to $89,824, and MIT said their student costs before any aid is $85,960.
