University of New England president James Herbert announced free tuition for students with high GPAs and a household income under $100,000. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

Starting next fall, high-achieving students from low-income families will be able to attend the University of New England tuition-free.

The Biddeford and Portland-based private university announced the program Monday after a spate of similar moves by colleges across the country. President James Herbert said it’s an extension of the university’s longtime mission of making education more accessible to low-income and first-generation students.

“Our goal, quite simply, is to be able to provide access to this transformative educational experience to as many students as we can,” Herbert said.

In order to qualify for free tuition at UNE, students need to have an annual family income of less than $100,000 and a Student Aid Index of 0. That’s the number calculated by the FAFSA to determine eligibility for aid. Students must enroll full time and live on campus for all four years of their degree.

Students also need at least a 3.85 unweighted high school GPA to qualify. Once admitted, they’ll have to maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA for continued eligibility. Free tuition does not apply retroactively to current UNE students. The program will cover up to four years of tuition, but does not include residential or dining costs, which average $18,000 to $19,000.

According to UNE, there are 21 current students who would be eligible for free tuition, and about 75 applicants last year met the criteria. That’s out of 2,165 undergraduate students enrolled this fall. But the university is hoping the offer draws in more eligible applicants.

University of New England students on the Biddeford campus Monday. The school is one of several around the country that recently decided to waive tuition for some students to make college more affordable. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

In Maine, the median annual household income is $73,733.

Herbert anticipates the number of new students drawn in by the program will be “in the dozens, not the hundreds.” And he said the cost to the university should be just a few thousand per student – students who are eligible for free tuition would have already qualified for need-based financial aid and merit-based scholarships. Herbert said 98% of UNE students already receive some amount of financial aid.

“We only have limited funds, so this is our first step, but what I really hope is to grow the program over time,” Herbert said.

He said the funding for free tuition comes from donations – both from alumni and non-affiliated supporters – and from the school’s institutional financial aid budget. The university is in the midst of a fundraising campaign, which Herbert said has been focused on raising money for student scholarships.

“It’s just a question of funds,” he said. “It’s not a philosophical thing at all, I would love to be able to apply it retroactively to current students. It’s just that we have to start somewhere.”

COULD EXPAND IN FUTURE

He said the same is true for students below the 3.85 GPA threshold, another expansion he would hope to make if the university has a successful first year and has the funds to scale up the program.

UNE was one of half a dozen schools across the U.S., including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Texas System, that announced free tuition for students this week. At MIT, any student whose family makes under $200,000 annually can attend tuition-free starting in the fall. Herbert said that while MIT is an extremely selective university with a massive endowment, UNE is focused on offering free tuition with access and workforce in mind.

Many schools in the state’s public university system, including University of Maine at Augusta and University of Maine at Farmington, offer free tuition for in-state students who are eligible for federal Pell Grants. Some private colleges like Colby and Bowdoin meet full demonstrated need, meaning students from households under a certain income do not have to pay for their education or related costs like housing and food.

The University of New England campus in Biddeford. Photo courtesy of the University of New England

“Maine, in particular, has major gaps in its workforce,” Herbert said. He said UNE sees itself as critical in supplying the aging state with professionals like marine biologists, computer scientists, supply chain managers and especially doctors. UNE has the only medical school in the state, and is the biggest provider of medical professionals in Maine.

“The point of this is, on the student side, helping the student,” Herbert said. “But on the macro state-level side, helping Maine by bringing in students.”

Maine has offered free tuition at the state’s community colleges since 2022. That program applies to students who graduated from high school between 2020 and 2025.