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Many U.S. college degrees now come with a six-figure price tag, forcing families into debt and stunting the financial livelihood of young workers. But at one small liberal arts school in the U.S., students don’t have to choose between academic ambition and a lifetime of payments.
Whitman College, a private college in Walla Walla, Washington, will now fix its tuition at just 10% of family earnings in a push to rein in the rising cost of a degree.
The school’s 10% Promise is guaranteed for all four years, and will be available to all first-year and transfer students who enroll in fall 2027.
Whitman joins a growing movement of colleges confronting the growing unattainability of pursuing a higher degree. Now, the selective Washington school with a student population of around 1,500 hopes to slash the price for thousands to come.
“We’re not hiding the cost of college behind secret formulas—it’s basic math, no mystery,” Whitman College says on its website. “Your family will never pay more than 10% of their income toward tuition.”
How students can apply to the capped tuition
Unlike other cumbersome aid processes, Whitman has made it easy to apply—and it’s open to all students.
Prospective students simply need to calculate a tenth of their parents’ adjusted gross income (Line 11 on Form 1040 of their tax return) and fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The “Whitman 10% Promise” website even provides a calculator to work out the scholarship amount, how much of Whitman’s tuition it would cover, and what would be left to pay.
Over the next three years the aid will expand until all future Whitman students can get in on the benefit, Whitman says.
And while pupils will still have to cover their other living costs—housing, school supplies, and dinning—it’s a novel approach that’s tackling the affordability of college.
Tuition is skyrocketing—and colleges are responding
A college degree has long been lauded as the great career accelerator, but for many students, shouldering the price has become a lifelong ball and chain.
The average cost of a student attending college in the U.S. is $38,270 per year—including tuition, books, housing, and daily living expenses—according to 2026 research from the Education Data Initiative. Those expenses account for nearly 58% of the average U.S. salary of $66,622, making it difficult for parents with college kids to balance their checkbooks. And having watched their millennial peers sink into tuition debt—the average federal student loan borrower owing $39,075—some Gen Zers are getting scared off by the financial liability.
So some schools alongside Whitman College have been stepping up to lighten the load.
Famed research university MIT is not only footing the tuition bill of its lower-income students—it’s making “free college” a reality.
Enrollees at the Massachusetts college, whose parents bring in less than $100,000 a year, won’t have to pay a single dime towards their MIT education. Tuition, housing, dining, fees, books, and a personal expenses allowance are all covered by the school. MIT students with family incomes below $200,000 can also expect to attend the college tuition-free.
Even highly exclusive Ivy League schools, boasting endowments in the billions, are making their premier degrees more accessible. Harvard University has made free tuition available for families earning under $200,000 annually for the 2025-2026 academic cycle; Columbia University offers the same, at an income threshold of $150,000. Stanford students have their tuition covered at the elite California college if their families earn less than $150,000 annually, with free room and included for those making under $100,000.
“At Whitman, we believe students should be able to focus on finding the college that will be the best fit for them without the obstacle of financial uncertainty,” Adam Miller, vice president of admission and financial aid for Whitman College, shared with Fortune in a statement.
“By providing families with clear, upfront tuition and financial aid information, we hope to make it easier for students to imagine themselves here, pursue the opportunities that will help them thrive and move forward with confidence when applying to Whitman.”
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
