UMass campuses announce plans to fully cover tuition and fees for high - need students

Oct. 30, 2024 |by Office of Communications Education, Press Release

All four undergraduate UMass campuses announced plans to make a UMass education free for Massachusetts students who demonstrate the greatest financial need. Starting next Fall, tuition and mandatory fees at all UMass campuses will be fully covered for undergraduate students from households earning $75,000 or less through a combination of federal, state and university-funded financial aid. The campuses announced the tuition and fee free pledge to remove barriers to college and simplify the cost for students and families with the greatest financial needs.

"These programs are highlighting how truly affordable a UMass degree is, and I applaud our UMass chancellors for their efforts to ensure students and families are aware of that fact," said UMass President Marty Meehan. "Since 2015, the University of Massachusetts system has made record investments in university-funded aid, boosting it by 73 percent to $409 million annually. Our record institutional aid combined with the historic expansion of state financial aid through MASSGrant Plus by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Legislature, have made it possible for all undergraduate campuses to cover the costs of tuition and mandatory fees for our highest-need students."

Approximately two-thirds of all financial aid awarded to UMass students comes directly from UMass. Federal financial aid represented 15 percent of aid in FY2024, followed by state funding at 13 percent and other private funding at 7 percent.

"I hope that this announcement makes clear to students and families how affordable a UMass education can be for those with the greatest need, and that's true at all of our campuses," President Meehan said in an interview with the Boston Globe.

Read on to learn about each campus's tuition-free initiative:

UMass Amherst

Drawing upon existing federal support and additional resources from the legislatively funded Mass Grant Plus program, which was expanded by the Healey-Driscoll Administration in 2023, UMass Amherst fully covers tuition and mandatory fees for all eligible students with an annual household income of $75,000 or less. Today's announcement is an effort to explicitly state this commitment in a way that is accessible and understandable to prospective students and their families. It is important that students with the greatest financial need understand how affordable a UMass education can be.

UMass Boston

The Beacon Pledge Program offers high-need students the ability to earn a bachelor's degree for free. It will use federal, state, and institutional aid to cover total tuition and mandatory fees. In-state students from families with an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less qualify for the program. University leaders hope the program can support as many as 3,000 students in its first year, more than one-third of whom are expected to come from Suffolk County and a vast majority of whom are expected to be students of color.

Over 60% of UMass Boston students are the first in their families to attend college, and more than 40% qualify for a Pell Grant annually. The Beacon Pledge helps to ensure Massachusetts students have access to a degree that provides the greatest opportunity for upward mobility.

Read more about UMass Boston's Beacon Pledge.

UMass Dartmouth

Beginning Fall 2025, UMass Dartmouth's tuition-free program "The UMass Dartmouth Deal," will be available to in-state undergraduate students with an annual family income of $75,000 or less by providing tuition and fee support and access to a robust network of academic and professional resources like financial literacy workshops and additional scholarships to assist with costs such as books and housing. The UMass Dartmouth Deal will also guarantee eligible students a room in on-campus housing. The University expects roughly 1,500 UMass Dartmouth students to qualify for this initiative.

Read more about UMass Dartmouth's Deal here.

UMass Lowell

Eligible Massachusetts students whose family income is $75,000 or less will pay no undergraduate tuition or fees when they enroll at UMass Lowell.

"UMass Lowell is committed to making clear that Massachusetts residents can afford an outstanding college degree," said Chancellor Julie Chen. "The impact of a college degree can be felt by families for generations."

She also pointed out that more than 40% of UMass Lowell students are the first generation in their families to attend college.

Read more about UMass Lowell's program in this press release.