Wake Forest University to offer tuition-free education for some NC students starting next year

Some students at Wake Forest University could attend tuition-free starting in 2026.

The university announced on Wednesday that undergraduate students admitted with an annual family income of less than $200,000 per year will attend tuition-free starting in the upcoming fall semester.

It is part of the university “North Carolina Gateway to Wake Forest University” initiative, which aims to “create more opportunities for talented, high-achieving students to attend Wake Forest regardless of family income.”

Under this initiative, undergraduate students from North Carolina with an annual family income of less than $100,000 will also have financial aid cover the cost of standard living expenses in addition to the full cost of tuition.

Students from North Carolina with an annual family income between $200,000 and $300,000 will be eligible for financial aid covering 50% of their tuition.

President Susan R. Wente said the initiative demonstrates the university’s “deep commitment to students from our home state.”

“It says clearly to students and families who may not have considered Wake Forest because of cost: ‘Wake Forest is within your reach,” she said.

For Wente, she said this initiative is personal.

“As a Pell grant recipient, private colleges in my home state felt entirely out of reach,” Wente said. “I want talented North Carolinians from across the income spectrum to know they can come to Wake Forest and receive a transformational education.”

More undergraduate students come from North Carolina than from any other state, according to Vice President of Enrollment Eric Maguire. He said this initiative helps demonstrate the university’s affordability.

“The program will allow families to see and understand their likely out-of-pocket costs from the beginning,” Maguire explained. “That level of assurance and transparency will help more North Carolina families envision Wake Forest as a possibility.”

Officials said in a release on Wednesday that the initiative is part of Wake Forest’s “longstanding commitment to minimize student loans by increasing financial aid and scholarships.”

“We are grateful for the generous support of donors,” Wente said. “Their investments in undergraduate scholarships and financial aid at Wake Forest are crucial to our ongoing efforts to increase access and affordability for low and middle-income families.”