If your family earns less than $75,000, tuition may be covered at Ripon College

Ripon College is offering free tuition to Wisconsin students whose families earn $75,000 or less, the latest Wisconsin institution trying to make pricing more transparent and college more affordable for lower-income students.

For Wisconsin students whose families earn more than $75,000, Ripon will match the University of Wisconsin-Madison tuition rate of $11,606.

"It's our attempt to reach students who may think a four-year private education is out of reach to show them that, in fact, it is affordable," Ripon College President Victoria Folse said. “We want to demystify the cost of education, specifically for small, private (institutions)."

Here's what to know about the new "Ripon Commitment":

Ripon Commitment open to students in fall 2025

Both the tuition promise and UW-Madison match components of the commitment are open to incoming freshmen or transfer students beginning in fall 2025. Students must live on campus to receive the commitment all four years.

Out-of-state students are not eligible nor are graduate students.

About a third of Ripon student body could qualify for free tuition

Like most other tuition promise programs, Ripon's operates as a last-dollar award. It takes advantage of existing state and federal money already available to low-income students, such as Pell grants and scholarships, and covers the remaining balance.

Folse said the initial cost will be roughly $1 million. She estimated about a third of the incoming class would meet the $75,000 income threshold and qualify for free tuition.

Tuition promise programs effective in messaging

The power of tuition promise programs like Ripon's is in the simple message it sends.

Students may not understand the college's posted sticker price of more than $50,000 isn't what they will actually pay. The Ripon Commitment is aimed at cutting through the confusing financial aid system, which can be particularly challenging for low-income students who rely on multiple sources of aid.

Other Wisconsin colleges offer tuition promise programs

College Promise, a nonprofit that advocates making the first two or more years of college free, identified at least 19 other promise programs in Wisconsin.

Most state technical colleges offer programs, including Milwaukee Area Technical College. So do a few other private institutions, including Lakeland College and Carthage College.

Among public universities, UW-Madison covers tuition for students whose families earn $65,000 or less. The program launched in 2018 and is funded through a mix of private money and institutional resources, not taxpayer money.

UW-Milwaukee in 2023 started covering tuition for new Wisconsin freshmen and transfer students whose families earn $62,000 or less. The university announced this week it will extend the program through at least fall 2025, using a mix of its operating budget and donor gifts.

Other college costs can also hold students back from completing their degree

Even with tuition covered, many students still struggle to pay for rent, books and groceries.

Some schools are paying more attention to these additional expenses.

MATC launched a scholarship program that covers tuition as well as books, child care, housing, food and transportation. The scholarships are available to students seeking short-term technical diplomas or certificates, not associate degrees.

UW-Madison extended its tuition promise program last year to cover room, board and books.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ripon College promises free tuition for families earning less than $75K