Emory University offers free tuition for families earning under $200K: Eligibility, dates, and how to apply

Starting fall 2026, all new and returning students will be eligible to claim this need-based program if they fall under the specified income bracket.

Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, has decided to ease its tuition requirements for applicants coming from families earning less than $200,000 annually. This program is part of their new Emory Advantage Plus model that aims to make education more accessible and stress-free.

Emory University to become tuition-free for students whose families earn under $200K. (UnSplash)

What is Emory Advantage Plus?

Emory Advantage Plus is a landmark scholarship program introduced by the university “to support talented students by making a preeminent education more attainable." Under this measure, those whose families earn under $200,000 annually will no longer be subject to any tuition fees. The university will also continue to meet 100% of demonstrated need for all its domestic undergraduate students.

“Offering free tuition to every student whose family income is $200,000 or less is about leadership,” Interim President Leah Ward Sears said, as reported by the university’s official website. “We want great students to come here without regard to the cost. And we will do everything in our power to give them a great education without the burden of crushing debt.

"When students sit at the kitchen table with their parents to discuss college, I don’t want finances to be a consideration,” she added. “If they qualify to come to Emory and they want to come to Emory, we will make sure they can afford Emory.” 

This measure will take the university’s financial aid program up to a billion dollars in the next four years. Currently, 3,100 students are receiving scholarships from the university, 60% of whom are equal to or higher than their cost of tuition.

Who is eligible for it?

Starting fall 2026, all new and returning students will be eligible to claim this need-based program if they fall under the specified income bracket. Applicants will need to provide the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile) for the university to consider their family’s assets.

“Emory Advantage Plus is more than just an expansion of a financial aid plan — it’s an expansion of opportunity, of dreams, and what’s possible at Emory,” Sears adds. “Together, we are opening doors wider than ever before so that brilliant, deserving students can call Emory and Georgia their home. The future has never looked brighter, and this is only just the beginning.”

This program is being funded through endowments from donors, alumni, and sponsors.