As tuition costs continue to rise, students and parents have recently received some good news.
Starting with the fall 2026 semester, Tufts University will waive undergraduate tuition for middle-income families earning less than $150,000 per year. Families earning less than $60,000 “will generally receive aid without student loans.”
Bryn Mawr also just announced free tuition for eligible undergraduate students for families of students applying for fall 2026 (or later) with an annual income of $175,000 or less. Last year, it eliminated all federal student loans for students with family incomes of less than $110,000 and assets of less than $500,000.
Both universities are among the small percentage committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial aid need for all undergraduate students.
“Despite the annual increase in the official cost of attendance at Tufts, the true average cost for Tufts students has declined in recent years, thanks to the increasing amount of financial aid provided by the university,” the Tufts press release states.
What is the advantage of free courses? For the 2025-2026 school year, the cost of undergraduate tuition at Tufts is $71,982 and $67,730 at Bryn Mawr, so the savings are quite significant. With costs this high, how can students put themselves in the best financial position and avoid high student loans once they graduate? Here’s our guide to paying off your loans in a timely manner and avoiding defaults or defaults.
It is important to understand that the price listed is not what you will typically pay at many colleges.
“You can see the sticker price and write it off. Please don’t do it,” said JT Duck, dean of admissions and enrollment management in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering. “Take a deeper dive on Tufts, because it might be more affordable than you think. »
Tufts and Bryn Mawr join a growing set of selective schools expanding aid to middle-income families. MIT made tuition free for families earning less than $200,000 starting this year, and Harvard announced a similar threshold for tuition, with health insurance, food and housing costs also covered for families earning less than $100,000. The university estimates that approximately 86% of American families will qualify for financial aid under this program. Some private universities also reduce borrowing by waiving loans in aid programs or meeting demonstrated need in full.
Public universities are also developing affordable programs that mitigate rising costs. New York’s Excelsior Scholarship offers tuition-free education at SUNY and CUNY for eligible families up to $125,000, and the University of California’s Blue and Gold plan generally covers systemwide tuition for most families near $100,000. This year, the University of Texas System launched a program to waive tuition for families earning up to $100,000, and the University of Michigan’s Go Blue Guarantee will cover tuition for in-state families with incomes up to $125,000, also effective in fall 2025.
Americans owe about $1.81 trillion in student loans, and the typical federal borrower carries about $39,075 while 42.5 million people have federal debt, according to Education Data Initiative. [1].
Most full-time undergraduates receive some form of financial aid, and just over a quarter of all undergraduates take out federal loans in a given year, so borrowing remains a significant part of many students’ college financing. Collection of defaulted federal loans resumed on May 5, 2025. Defaulting borrowers may face wage garnishment of up to 15% of available wages. The government may also take money from tax refunds and certain federal benefits to pay off your loan. The New York Fed’s Q2 2025 Household Debt and Credit Report shows that 10.2% of student loan balances were 90 days or more delinquent in Q2 2025.
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Although the average age of a delinquent student loan borrower was around 40 in the first quarter of 2025, recent graduates are more likely to suffer a decline in their credit score. This means they are less likely to get approved for a home or car loan, which can significantly harm their ability to build wealth for the rest of their lives.
Additionally, student loans are notoriously difficult to repay. According to the government website, your loan can only be forgiven under specific circumstances, such as the closure of a school, false certification by a school of your eligibility to receive a loan, failure of a school to pay a required loan payment, or due to total and permanent disability, bankruptcy, identity theft or death. It goes without saying that many borrowers take decades to repay their loans.
For most people, the solution to student debt is to only take on what you know you can repay. These steps can help you avoid making mistakes when it comes to student loans:
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Use each college’s net price calculator to compare what you’d actually pay after subsidies, not just the sticker price. Keep in mind that these calculators are not standardized.
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File the FAFSA and any required CSS profile quickly and accurately. Aid cannot be given without them.
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Prioritize schools that meet all needs and offer no-loan or no-tuition commitments based on your income level.
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Borrow prudently. A common safeguard is to keep total undergraduate borrowing close to or below your expected first-year salary.
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If you must borrow, prioritize federal loans first and enroll in an income-driven plan early to keep payments affordable and protect against delinquency.
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If you are in default, consider loan rehabilitation or consolidation to stop collections and restore status.
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Know your rights. You can contest the garnishment, and resolving the default can stop wage deductions and Treasury offsets.
Promises of free tuition provide real relief to admitted students and their families. They won’t necessarily make college free, but they will reduce the need to borrow for many. Given the magnitude of national student debt and the return of collections, the smartest decision is to apply broadly, compare net prices, and choose a school that allows you to graduate with manageable loans or no loans.
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Education Data Initiative (1)
This article provides information only and should not be considered advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
