DePauw details free tuition offer for families making up to $100,000

A year after pledging full coverage of financial need for first-year students, DePauw published precise income guidelines to help families plan for out-of-pocket expenses.

For students whose families earn up to $100,000 a year, the university guidelines will guarantee complete tuition coverage. For those with family income up to $50,000, financial aid will also cover all housing, meals and required fees.

The benchmarks are a detailed response to student and family feedback, ensuring financial aid and scholarship information are transparent from the start of the application and enrollment processes. Beginning with students who apply for the 2027-28 academic year, DePauw will show families the complete scope of what financial aid would cover, based on income, even before students apply.

"Too often, students and families assume a top-tier private education is out of reach," President Lori S. White said. "Our DePauw Promise maintains an exceptional pathway by lifting historic barriers and guaranteeing access up front. By providing more specific projections of expenses, we'll help families build confidence and see the feasibility of a DePauw education."

Under the DePauw Promise, launched in August 2025 with generous backing from alumni and friends, the university meets 100 percent of calculated financial need for every incoming first-year student. Calculated financial need amounts to the cost of attendance after the university accounts for a family's ability to contribute financially.

DePauw creates personalized aid packages with a combination of scholarships, grants, work-study and student loans. During the first year of the DePauw Promise, the university saw more interest and enrollment from first-generation college students and those from middle-income households.

Under the university's newly released income benchmarks, which take effect with the fall 2027 semester:

Family income up to $50,000: Full coverage of direct costs, including tuition, housing, meals and required fees.

Family income up to $100,000: Full coverage of tuition.

Family income up to $200,000: At least 50 percent tuition coverage.

All applicants, all income levels: Automatic consideration for all applicants for merit scholarships, with no separate application required.

More than 90 percent of DePauw students receive some form of financial assistance. The university is distributing $80 million in institutional aid and scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year.

"Families deserve to know what college will cost before they fall in love with a school," said Mary Beth Petrie, DePauw's vice president for enrollment management. "These benchmarks let a student and their family do the math early and on their own terms instead of waiting months to find out whether DePauw is within reach. We're highlighting exactly what an aid package would cover, including how merit- and need-based aid work together."