If your family earns $55K or less, tuition to be covered at all UW campuses in 2025

Some lower-income students attending a public university will have their tuition and fees completely covered under a program re-launching next year.

The Wisconsin Tuition Promise will offer four years of free tuition coverage to in-state students whose families earn $55,000 or less annually and are beginning at a University of Wisconsin System campus in fall 2025.

“We’re pleased to once again offer Wisconsin resident students of modest means an opportunity to attend a UW tuition-free,” UW System President Jay Rothman said in a statement. “We know that for a number of students cost is a barrier to enrollment and removing that barrier is critical.”

A previous iteration of the program debuted in 2023 and covered students whose families earn $62,000 or less.

The program is not available for students starting at a UW campus this fall, except for those enrolled at UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee. The UW System asked the Republican-controlled Legislature last year for money to continue the program in 2024 but lawmakers declined. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, suggested campuses fundraise for the program.

That's primarily how UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee fund their own tuition promise programs. The statewide program will cover the other 11 universities within the UW System.

About 1,300 students are expected to qualify for the Wisconsin Tuition Promise in fall 2025.

Ascendium Education Group is contributing $5 million. The UW System administration is also kicking in $5 million. Additional funding will come from the 11 participating universities.

The program operates as a last-dollar award, meaning the university covers what isn’t met by other financial aid a student receives, such as a Pell grant and other scholarships. Students are still on the hook to fund room, board and books.

Some other Wisconsin institutions offer their own tuition promise programs, including many technical colleges.

Earlier this week, Ripon College in Fond du Lac County announced its own program, which also launches in fall 2025. Incoming Wisconsin students from families earning $75,000 or less will qualify.

Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at 414-223-5168 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @KellyMeyerhofer.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Tuition Promise covers tuition for some UW students