Where Can You Attend College for Free?

As college expenses soar, regional legislatures are taking action to offer free tuition to local high students who satisfy the academic criteria. According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition for public four-year colleges was $9,650 for in-state and $24,930 for out-of-state students during the 2016-2017 school year. For students deterred by high costs, free tuition may offer equal access to higher education and successful careers.

Expanding Access to Grant Programs

For years, scholarship and grant programs around the country have awarded funds to students with top grades and financial need. But many legislators realize affordable college must be attainable for students with diverse academic abilities for a long-term solution to the opportunity gap. As of July 2017, regional communities in at least 19 states offer two years or more of free tuition to students with C+ and above grades. However, secondary criteria vary by program.

One example is the Kalamazoo Promise program, which awards students from Kalamazoo Public Schools 65 to 100 percent of tuition costs, based on their length of attendance in the area. Students can attend any Michigan public college and a select group of private institutions. In Missouri, the A+ Scholarship program pays community college and technical school tuition for students from more than 500 schools. Students have to complete mandatory tutoring or mentoring and must have a 2.5 GPA and 95 percent attendance rate.

Balancing Grants, Financial Aid and School Options

Tuition is only a portion of college expenses, so it's essential for students to understand how grants affect the cost overall. Most free tuition programs have "last-dollar" clauses, meaning the grant funds kick in after financial aid is applied. For example, the Say Yes Buffalo and Say Yes Syracuse programs award the full cost of tuition minus financial aid, allowing public and charter school students to attend any New York public colleges. These programs also provide some free tuition to qualifying students attending private colleges, with a $5,000 cap for people from households with a yearly income above $75,000.

In other cases, students must attend specific schools. The SEED Scholarship pays for two-year enrollment in associate degree programs at the University of Delaware or Delaware Technical Community College. The Galesburg Promise program in Illinois pays for two-year enrollment with up to 16 credits a semester at Carl Sandburg College.

Maintaining Grant Eligibility

To encourage high achievement and community involvement, some free tuition programs require recipients to meet continuing criteria once they receive a grant. Understandably, legislators want to increase the rate of students entering professional careers while improving the economic futures of local communities. Students who lived in Ontario, California, for at least two years can receive full tuition to any community college in the state, as long as they periodically complete community service hours and maintain a 2.0 GPA.

Students facing the college dilemma can talk to a guidance counselor and research scholarship programs online to cobble together grant funds from several sources. Although taxpayer-funded free tuition is still a controversial issue, many legislators believe increasing access to higher education is the best way to reduce wealth disparities. As an added benefit, opening doors for more students may help to end growing shortages in key industries, including science and engineering fields.

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