MIT has made a groundbreaking decision to offer tuition-free education to the majority of its incoming undergraduate students starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. Approximately 80 percent of undergraduates from families earning less than $200,000 annually with typical assets will be eligible for this financial aid program. Families with total incomes below $100,000 with typical assets will not be expected to contribute towards their student’s MIT education, including tuition, housing, dining, fees, and additional expenses.
This initiative is part of MIT’s efforts to increase accessibility for a broader range of students and create a more diverse student body. MIT President Sally Kornbluth emphasized the importance of making their transformative educational experience available to talented students regardless of their financial circumstances. The school does not require students on financial aid to take out loans and does not give preferential treatment to children of alumni or donors.
School officials highlighted that MIT’s endowment, funded by contributions from alumni and supporters, allows for these significant financial aid measures. MIT’s dean of admissions and student financial services, Stu Schmill, emphasized the university’s commitment to providing need-based financial aid to make education more affordable.
This announcement comes as several other prestigious American universities have also implemented initiatives to reduce or eliminate tuition costs for a significant portion of their undergraduate students. Cooper Union and Johns Hopkins University are among those institutions working towards making education more accessible for talented students from diverse backgrounds.
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