Yale to Waive Tuition for U.S. Families Earning Under $200,000 Starting 2026–27
Yale will waive tuition and, for U.S. families earning up to $100,000, eliminate all costs including room and board, and will provide enough aid to fully cover tuition for families earning up to $200,000 beginning in the 2026–27 academic year. The university — which enrolls about 6,800 undergraduates (roughly 1,000 already attend tuition‑free and just over half receive need‑based aid) — raised its free‑tuition cutoff from $75,000 and joins peers like Harvard, MIT, Penn and Emory amid national concerns over college affordability (median U.S. household income ~$105,800, average net annual four‑year college cost ~$30,000 after aid, and nearly 43 million federal student‑loan borrowers).
📌 Key Facts
- Starting in the 2026–27 academic year, Yale will eliminate all costs (tuition, room and board) for U.S. families earning up to $100,000 and will provide enough aid to fully cover tuition for families with incomes up to $200,000.
- Yale had previously offered free tuition only to families earning up to $75,000; the new policy raises that threshold to $100,000 and expands support through the $200,000 income level.
- Yale enrolls about 6,800 undergraduates; roughly 1,000 already attend tuition‑free and just over half of undergraduates receive need‑based financial aid.
- The announcement is framed against national higher‑education and income context: the median U.S. household income is about $105,800, the average net annual four‑year college cost is roughly $30,000 after aid, and nearly 43 million Americans carry federal student‑loan debt.
- Yale’s move follows similar recent announcements by peer institutions — including Harvard, MIT, Penn and Emory — that have adopted free‑tuition policies for families earning up to $200,000.
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- Yale will eliminate all costs (tuition, room and board) for U.S. families earning up to $100,000 and provide enough aid to fully cover tuition for families up to $200,000, beginning with the upcoming academic year.
- Yale currently enrolls about 6,800 undergraduates, of whom 1,000 already attend tuition‑free and just over half receive need‑based aid.
- The school previously offered free tuition only up to $75,000 in income; the threshold is now raised to $100,000, with expanded support up to $200,000.
- The article quantifies national context: median U.S. household income is about $105,800 and the average net annual four‑year college cost is $30,000 after aid, with nearly 43 million Americans carrying federal student‑loan debt.
- It situates Yale among peers—Harvard, MIT, Penn and Emory—that have recently announced similar free‑tuition policies for families up to $200,000.