Yale University is eliminating tuition and other costs for new undergraduates from families earning less than $100,000 a year, the Ivy League school announced Tuesday. The policy takes effect for students entering this fall, raising the income threshold from the previous $75,000 ceiling and extending coverage to nearly half of American households with children ages 6 to 17.
Yale joins a wave of elite universities—including Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and MIT—that have slashed costs for middle- and lower-income families in recent years. The policy expansion comes as selective colleges seek to broaden socioeconomic diversity in the wake of the Supreme Court’s rejection of affirmative action in college admissions.
The new policy waives tuition and all other costs for students from families earning less than $100,000 per year. Students from families earning less than $200,000 will have tuition waived but may still owe other costs, such as room and board.
Provost Scott Strobel said the expansion represents Yale’s commitment to broadening access. “This strategic investment is central to our mission to educate exceptional students from all backgrounds,” Strobel said. “The benefits are evident as these talented students enrich the Yale campus and go on to serve their communities after graduation.”
Yale’s expansion builds on its previous commitment to affordability. Previously, the university waived all expected costs for students from families earning less than $75,000 annually.
Elite Universities Expand Access
Other universities have made similar announcements in recent years. Harvard rolled out a nearly identical policy last fall, while the University of Pennsylvania moved to make tuition free for families making less than $200,000 annually.
Strategy Linked to Affirmative Action Decision
This shift toward expanding financial access reflects a broader strategy adopted by selective colleges following the Supreme Court’s rejection of affirmative action in college admissions. By recruiting more low-income students, colleges hoped to maintain racial diversity without violating the court’s decision. The tactic appears to have increased low-income enrollment: many campuses brought record numbers of low-income students to campus last fall. However, many of those same campuses saw shares of Black and Latino students decrease.