The University of Minnesota Board of Regents will discuss a tuition-free program for in-state students with an annual household income of less than $50,000, the Star Tribune reported.
Dr. Joan GabelThe initiative was proposed by President Dr. Joan Gabel as a part of her strategic plan for the university. The goal is to launch the program by next year.
While the program wouldn’t cover the full cost of college – like room and board – it would fully cover tuition for eligible students.
“It’s tuition for free,” Gabel told the Star Tribune. “So, if they have other expenses … there could be other financial aid for that. But the part that we would guarantee in the program that we’re working on is the tuition.”
President-elect Joe Biden’s higher education plan includes making a four-year degree tuition-free for students with an annual household income below $125,000. If enacted, University of Minnesota’s program can cover other education-related costs like food, textbooks and housing, Gabel added.
Sara Weissman can be reached at [email protected].
