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White House Education Secretary on future of education
White House Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, joined the White House Press briefing to discuss the future of education. McMahon said, "These interagency agreements to cut our own bureaucratic bloat are a key step in our efforts to shift educational authority from Washington, D.C., to your state education agency, your local superintendent, your local school board — entities that are accountable to YOU."
NEW HAVEN, Connect. - On Tuesday, Yale University announced enhancements to its financial aid program for undergraduates that will lower costs for future students and their families.
Yale will offer free tuition to families making less than $200K
Big picture view:
According to the university, families making under $200,000 a year will receive free tuition, and students from families making under $100,000 a year will have all their education costs waived.
The Sterling Memorial Library on the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut. (Credit: Craig Warga/Bloomberg via Getty Images
As it stands now, 56% of the undergraduate class at Yale receive need-based aid and 1,000 students qualify for a no-cost degree.
What they're saying:
"I am thrilled that Yale is making this important investment in affordability," 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."
Since 2010, Yale has offered ‘zero parent share’ awards
The backstory:
Since 2010, Yale has offered financial aid awards known as "zero parent share" awards. They provide eligible families scholarship grants that cover the full cost of all billed expenses — tuition, housing, and the meal plan — as well as estimated travel costs, hospitalization insurance coverage, and a $2,000 start-up grant.
In 2020, Yale raised the income threshold for zero parent share awards from $65,000 to $75,000, making eligible over 15 million American families with school-aged children.
By raising the threshold again, to $100,000, nearly half of all American households with children ages 6-17 would now qualify for a financial aid package that does not require parents to contribute anything towards a student’s education.
Yale’s announcement follows similar moves by Harvard, MIT
Local perspective:
Yale's announcement also comes after several prestigious universities made similar moves in recent years, including Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
RELATED: Harvard to offer free tuition for families earning less than $200K
Last fall, Harvard revealed a nearly identical policy, while Penn announced it would make tuition-free for families making less than $200,000 a year.
When will Yale’s free tuition be available?
What's next:
The changes will go into effect for new Yale College students entering in the 2026-2027 academic year.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by Yale University. FOX News contributed. This story was reported from Los Angeles.