More Illinois universities are covering tuition for low-income households, but issues with cost remains

Like many students, financial aid was a deciding factor for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign psychology student Nora Harvey.

Despite the fact that her dad, who died when she was 16, had gone to University of Wisconsin at Madison and raised her as a Badgers fan, she chose the option that wouldn’t saddle her with debt.

Harvey, who grew up in Beverly, said the decision would have been closer if she hadn't been looking at a $10,000 tuition bill every year at Wisconsin. At Illinois, her tuition, which ranges from $17,640 to $22,904 a year for in-state residents, is covered. Grants and scholarships pay for other costs, such as rent and books.

“Once I got my financial aid [package] from Wisconsin, I knew I was going to U of I,” said Harvey, 21. “If it weren't for this, I really would be having a different experience in college. ... I feel a lot more freedom knowing I'm not gonna have a crazy amount of loans.”

University of Illinois started Illinois Commitment, its free tuition program for low-income households in 2019, and a growing number of private and public universities have followed suit.

Roosevelt University announced it will start offering a similar program this month, the Roosevelt Pledge, and in September, University of Illinois Chicago announced its plans to launch its own version, UIC Aspire, next fall.

The Roosevelt Pledge program, which starts in the spring 2025 semester, will cover tuition costs not covered by loans, grants or work-study programs for students whose family incomes are less than $50,000 per year.

To qualify, applicants must be Illinois residents who attended and graduated from an Illinois high school; are younger than 24; and enrolled as a new freshman in a baccalaureate degree program for at least 15 credit hours. Their parents or guardians listed on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, must also be Illinois residents.

“We at Roosevelt believe that income should not be a barrier to earning a degree, and I’m pleased that the Pledge has the potential to allow more students to attend our institution regardless of their financial background,” Roosevelt President Ali Malekzadeh said in a news release.

Sara Miller, executive director of Green Halo Scholars, a west suburban program that helps first-generation and low-income students navigate college, said schools are fond of programs like these because they're easy to advertise.

“Programs like this help families understand from the get-go that the price on the website isn’t what they’re going to pay,” Miller said. “The certainty of income-based programs is really great. It advertises it on the front end to encourage them to apply.”

She said many of the students she works with apply to the equivalent program at University of Illinois schools, which covers tuition for newly admitted or transfer students younger than 24 who live Illinois, graduated from an Illinois high school and have family incomes of $75,000 or less. The student must also take at least 12 credit hours a semester.

University of Chicago students can get similar tuition coverage if their family income is $125,000 or less per year. Fees, tuition, housing and meals are covered for students whose family income is $60,000 or less per year.

City Colleges of Chicago offers the Chicago STAR Scholarship, which covers tuition for certificate and degree programs. Students graduating from CPS or select Big Shoulders Fund partnered schools with a 3.0 GPA or higher are eligible.

Not-so-free ride

However, the fees not included in some of these programs, including Roosevelt's, can leave hefty bills for students. Minnesota’s North Star Promise — which offers free tuition for students with family incomes of less than $80,000 a year — left many of the 17,000 students responsible for housing and food costs that often total more than $10,000 per year.

Harvey said she would be paying $8,500 out of pocket if her scholarship didn't also cover costs beyond tuition — though she also said she'd appreciate if the payments came before rent was due, since reimbursements are paid out a week before classes start as opposed to when students need them.

“We tell our scholars not to fall in love with a college until they get their financial aid packages, which is really hard to tell high school seniors," Miller said. “I always know, between the Pell Grant and the MAP Grant, the student can afford tuition, but room and board is another beast."

That's coupled with rising costs at colleges. In Illinois, where state funding for higher education dropped by nearly 40% since 2000, public university tuition has increased 121% in the same time.

Last year, FAFSA saw technical difficulties that disrupted the federal financial aid process, sending students into college not knowing how much they’d be taking out in loans, just that they would be.

Some schools have also been accused of conspiring to lower the amount of financial support students receive. University of Chicago was one of 17 schools nationwide named in a 2022 lawsuit that alleged top universities worked together to limit the financial aid they awarded to students. It settled for $13.5 million last year.

Miller said some universities will phrase scholarships in a way that makes them seem like they cover more than they do, or require separate sign-ups or submissions to secure similar aid. She said schools being honest and streamlining these processes would help students, especially those who need aid the most.

“I’ve seen institutions who will include $40,000 of Parent PLUS loans in their financial aid package, and it’s deceptive,” Miller said. "The more institutions can do to take the onus off the students and make it easier for them, will just continue to decrease barriers."