Tuition Promise to benefit Virginia students at Radford University
RADFORD, Va. (WDBJ) - UPDATE: Radford University is launching a major initiative that school officials say will help more Virginians access an affordable education.
Radford University President Bret Danilowicz announced the Radford Tuition Promise at a news conference Wednesday morning.
“This is a historic day for Radford University, as a public university of the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Danilowicz told reporters.
The program will cover the tuition of Virginia residents whose families have an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less. The school estimates more than half of the Virginia students now enrolled at Radford will qualify.
In an interview with WDBJ7, Danilowicz said a major goal is to show prospective students and their families they have an affordable pathway to a high quality education.
“Often what they see on the website is the sticker price of the university, but they don’t see in advance the aid they’re provided either through the federal government, through a Pell Grant or through state aid, or even through the university,” he said. “So this makes it transparent up front before a student applies. If they’re accepted their tuition is covered.”
Danette Gomez Beane is Radford University’s Vice President of Enrollment Management and Strategic Communications.
“We’re taking out some of the guesswork of what it means to attend a four-year institution, get a degree that’s going to work for you, where you can turn it around and get a job tomorrow in many of the areas that we’re known for: education, healthcare, cyber security, business,” she said. “These are folks that are desperate for talent, and we’re producing it.”
The initiative applies to in-person undergraduate students at all Radford University locations. New or returning students who are Virginia residents can take advantage of the Radford Tuition Promise starting next fall.
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ORIGINAL STORY: Radford University announced a new program Wednesday that offers free tuition to many of its Virginia students.
The Radford Tuition Promise initiative covers all tuition costs, not including fees or room and board, and applies to in-person undergraduate students at all Radford University locations, according to the university.
“Students come first at Radford University, and we take pride in removing barriers to the life-changing difference that a degree makes,” President Bret Danilowicz said. “The Radford Tuition Promise has the potential to affect over half of our current students who file a FAFSA, as well as significant numbers of prospective students. This will make a difference for families and students with the most need, but also those from middle-class households across Virginia. Radford University is already an affordable institution and it is also a high-quality institution. Students will now have better access than ever to a four-year degree that will accelerate the path to their careers.”
Danilowicz says the school will offer free tuition to Virginia residents whose families have an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less.
“We want to make sure that we continue to add as much value as we can to the Commonwealth,” Danilowicz said. “And I think this Radford Tuition Promise is a way for us to say there is an affordable pathway in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Radford University will help make that opportunity possible for you.”
To be eligible for the Radford Tuition Promise, prospective students must apply and be admitted for fall 2024 at any of the campus locations. There is no application fee. Students must also submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which will be available in December 2024. The person must have less than a $15,000 Student Aid Index as determined by the FAFSA.
The President says the additional state aid that Radford is receiving, and other budget adjustments, have made it possible to offer the Tuition Promise.
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