Yale University announced Tuesday that it would provide free tuition for students whose families make under $200,000 a year starting this fall, and eliminate all expected costs for families with annual incomes below $100,000.

The Ivy League school said the new changes will impact students entering the 2026-2027 academic year.

“I am thrilled that Yale is making this important investment in affordability,” Yale's Dean of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid Jeremiah Quinlan said in a statement. “With this announcement, we reiterate and reinforce Yale’s commitment to ensuring that cost will never be a barrier between promising students and a Yale College education.” 

The "zero parent share" awards for students whose families with annual incomes below $100,000 will cover tuition, housing, the meal plan, estimated travel costs, hospitalization insurance coverage, and a $2,000 start-up grant.

The school said it has been offering the "zero parent share" awards since 2010 for students whose parents earned less than $65,000 annually. Yale raised the threshold to $75,000 in 2020 and to $100,000 in 2026. 

The Ivy League said the $100,000 threshold means that nearly half of all American households with school-age children qualify financially for the award, and the $200,000 threshold for tuition means 80% of American families qualify for it.

Although the price of the Ivy League education has become more affordable, Yale's acceptance rate for the class of 2029 was just 4.6%, accepting just 2,300 students out of over 50,000 applicants.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.