On 7/8, Princeton University announced it would waive tuition for most students whose families earn less than 250,000 USD per year.
This follows a trend of US universities adjusting their financial aid policies to reduce the cost burden and expand access for students. MIT and several Ivy League schools already offer tuition waivers for families with incomes between 200,000 and 250,000 USD.
Harvard and Princeton go even further, covering not only tuition but also room, board, insurance, and books for students from families earning up to 100,000 USD and 150,000 USD respectively.
The following table summarizes the tuition waiver policies of several US universities:
| No. | University | Family Income Threshold (USD/year) | Financial Aid Policy |
| 1 | Princeton University | ≤ 150,000 | Full coverage (tuition, room and board, books, and personal expenses) |
| ≤ 250,000 | Tuition waiver | ||
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | < 200,000 | Tuition waiver |
| 3 | Harvard University | ≤ 200,000 | Tuition waiver |
| ≤ 100,000 | Full coverage (tuition, room and board, health insurance, and travel expenses) | ||
| 4 | University of Pennsylvania | ≤ 200,000 | Tuition waiver |
| 5 | Stanford University | ≤ 150,000 | Tuition waiver |
| 6 | Columbia University | ≤ 150,000 | Tuition waiver |
| 7 | Yale University | ≤ 75,000 | Tuition waiver |
| 8 | Cornell University | ≤ 75,000 | Tuition waiver |
| 9 | University of Texas System (9 universities) | ≤ 100,000 | Tuition waiver |
| 10 | Brown University | ≤ 125,000 | Tuition waiver |
| 11 | Dartmouth College | ≤ 125,000 | Tuition waiver |
| 12 | Brandeis University | ≤ 75,000 | Tuition waiver |
| 13 | Carnegie Mellon University | ≤ 75,000 | Tuition waiver |
| 14 | New York University | < 100,000 | Tuition waiver |
According to the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid (FSA) office, total outstanding student loan debt exceeded 1.6 trillion USD as of March, with 42.5 million borrowers averaging over 39,000 USD in debt.
"By increasing financial aid, we are making the transformative educational experience at Princeton more accessible to more students than ever before," said Vice President Jennifer Rexford.
Harvard President Alan M. Garber emphasized, "Bringing Harvard closer to affordability for more people will expand the diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that our students have the opportunity to experience, thereby driving their intellectual and personal growth."
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Princeton University campus, USA. Photo: Princeton University |
Princeton University campus, USA. Photo: Princeton University
The US is a leading global education hub, home to over 5,000 universities and colleges, with over one million international students annually.
According to the 2025 QS World University Rankings, almost 30 US universities are among the top 100 globally, recognized for their quality education, academic freedom, and advanced facilities.
Huyen Trang - Hai Yen (according to The Guardian, AP News, Newsweek, Economictimes)
