Between state and federal financial aid programs, some full-time freshmen with a good GPA and solid ACT score could attend Middle Tennessee State University — and other public colleges — without paying tuition this fall.
University leaders hope this will help more students who recently graduated from high school pursue a degree. Fewer high schoolers have been enrolling in college in recent years, following a nationwide trend.
The break in tuition costs is in part due to more funding being put into Tennessee’s HOPE Scholarship. Legislation (S.B. 2405) expanded the program with an $85 million investment. It was signed by Gov. Bill Lee in June.
“The increase in lottery, an additional $1,000 for freshmen, is really going to make a big difference for a lot of our students,” says Laurie Witherow, MTSU’s associate vice provost for admissions and enrollment services.
But even then, free tuition doesn’t necessarily mean free college. Many students looking to enroll can’t attend — or end up dropping out — because of unaffordable housing and transportation costs. Many are forced to take out student loans to complete their degree.
“But I also caution them,” says Witherow, “don’t take a penny more than you absolutely need to get through these four years.”
In May, state higher education officials banned public colleges from raising tuition for the upcoming academic year in an effort to increase declining college-going rates.
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