Students whose families earn $50,000 per year or less will soon be able to attend the University of Minnesota's five campuses without paying a penny for tuition.
The U's Board of Regents on Friday unanimously approved the creation of the tuition-free program for lower-income Minnesota students. Regents also approved dozens of other long-term priorities, which include reducing student debt and administrative costs and increasing the share of classes the university offers in online and hybrid formats over the next five years.
"This is robust. It will guide us," U President Joan Gabel said of the school's 2025 strategic plan.
Students whose families make $50,000 per year or less already have most of their tuition covered by a mix of need-based scholarships and state and federal grants. The new program, which U leaders hope to have in place by this fall, will cover any leftover tuition costs for those students. It will not pay for additional fees or room and board expenses.
The program has the potential to benefit as many as 2,800 students annually, a U spokesman said.
Undergraduate students from Minnesota and neighboring states pay about $15,000 per year in tuition and fees at the university's flagship Twin Cities campus.
