Denison University will launch a new financial aid framework starting in the fall of 2027.
The Denison Commitment will offer free tuition to families with a total income less than $100,000.
Meghan Huston Ulsh, vice president for enrollment management at Denison University, said the school already meets 100% of the needs for students and the new initiative will make the process more transparent.
"It's not necessarily that we are providing more than what we have historically done by again being one of the few schools in the United States that meet the full demonstrated need of our admitted students," Ulsh said. "It helps to provide transparency to what that really looks like at the individual family level upfront."
The model uses a tiered system based on the percentage of total household income that will go towards tuition:
- $100,000 or less will result in free tuition
- $100,001 to $200,000 will result in a maximum of 5% towards tuition
- $200,001 to $300,000 will result in a maximum of 10% towards tuition
- $300,001 to $400,000 will result in a maximum of 15% towards tuition
Households with an income level beyond the $300,001 to $400,000 range will pay full tuition.
"We just continue to work with families who are navigating the financial aid process and they really come to the table with, 'I have no idea what to expect,'" Ulsh said. "We just wanted to address the problem as we saw it."
The initiative only covers tuition, however Ulsh said many families in the lower income tiers also receive aid towards housing and meals, as well as many scholarship opportunities.
"If a family has additional need beyond what we see within just the assessment of the Denison Commitment, we would meet that," Ulsh said.
Ulsh said the university does not expect an increase in enrollment following the initiative.
"What we're hoping is that for students who want to find their way to Denison, they feel that that opportunity is there," Ulsh said. "I would like to see more interest from middle-income families who are better able to see themselves here with transparency around what the real cost to their family would look like at Denison."
Denison University's website also includes a tuition calculator tool, which provides students and their families a total cost breakdown.
