FSU expands financial aid for lower-income Massachusetts residents

By Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez Editorial Staff The University announced the Framingham State Tuition Promise, a commitment aimed at helping lower-income families afford college, on Nov. 24. Iris Godes, vice president of Enrollment Management, said Massachusetts students with a household income of $85,000 or less will have no out-of-pocket cost for tuition and the University fee. According to the University’s website, students are eligible if they are a Massachusetts resident, their household income is $85,000 or less, they complete the FAFSA, they are a full-time student, and they have not earned a prior bachelor’s degree. Godes said, “We are going to look at your federal financial aid eligibility, your state financial aid eligibility, and if that doesn’t cover it, then we will use our own institutional Framingham State money to cover whatever balance you still have for your tuition and [the University fee].” This does not cover housing, meal plans, health insurance, or other expenses, she added. Godes said loans are not part of the program, and anyone who qualifies will “receive enough financial aid in the form of scholarships and grants to have their tuition and the University fee paid. The financial aid will come from federal, state, and university funding sources.” She said students may still need loans for other expenses, such as housing and meal plans. President Nancy Niemi said, “It is a very succinct way to tell people about what we can offer to students and their families.” The concept of funding tuition for lower-income students is not new and became popular in the higher-education community last year, she said. Back then, she did not want to commit to such a program because she was not sure the University could fulfill it for everyone, she said. “We did the financial calculation to make sure that it was true that we could do that,” Niemi said. She said another reason she was unsure at first was she did not want to sound too “gimmicky.” Niemi said, “I don’t see it as a gimmick at all. I see it as a real promise to our students and their families.” She said she hopes it will convince more students to choose the University. Niemi said the Tuition Promise program reflects the University’s confidence in its education and its financial health. “Even though $85,000 is a high income, it is still something that we want to put our support to for those families and their students,” Niemi said. Godes said current students are not eligible until the next fall semester, as this year’s money has already been allocated. Some money was allocated to helping new students coming next semester, so they will be eligible in Spring 2026, she said. She added many current students already receive enough financial aid to cover their tuition. Students must complete the FAFSA or the MAFSA to be eligible for this program, assuming they meet the rest of the criteria, Godes said. Out-of-state students are not eligible for the Tuition Promise program, but some financial aid is still available, she said. She added the University offers awards related to out-of-state tuition and out-of-state housing, and while they may not cover the full costs, they do reduce the costs considerably. “Unfortunately, we do not have enough funding to fund all of what would be their gap in the costs,” Godes said. Godes said UMass Boston’s “Beacon Pledge” and UMass Dartmouth’s “Dartmouth Deal” are similar programs, but their cap on income is $75,000. However, the University could not match Bridgewater State University’s “Bridgewater Commitment,” she added. Their income cap is $125,000, according to Bridgewater State University’s website. She believes students should choose the school that is the “best fit for you, and not necessarily the cheapest place for you to go,” Godes said. “We are trying to make it as accessible as possible for our lower-income students to be able to have that choice,” Godes said. She said the University set the income cap at $85,000 based on how many students are in that range and what the University could afford. Some prospective students do not realize they qualify for significant financial aid, so she is hoping this will encourage them to apply, she said. Caitlin Laurie, director of the Office of Financial Aid, said she worked with Godes to determine what the cost of this commitment would be and how many students could be helped. In order to expand the program to include current students, she has “started the software programming to identify the current students who will meet the criteria to receive this benefit when they return to Framingham State in Fall 2026,” Laurie said. She said out-of-state and international students are not eligible because their tuition costs are different. “While there is financial aid available for out-of-state students, FSU is not able to fully subsidize their tuition,” Laurie said. She said she hopes this program shows the University’s “commitment to providing students access to high-quality education regardless of their socioeconomic background.” Robert Totino, vice president of Finance, Technology, and Administration, said he worked with Niemi and Godes to help make the University a more affordable option. The cost of attending a school is part of the decision process for many students, he said. The Tuition Promise program takes into account the financial aid students receive from the federal and state governments, including initiatives such as the MASSGrant Plus Expansion, he said. If that does not cover the tuition and the University fee for eligible students, the rest of the money comes out of the University’s budget, he said. He said he hopes families that potentially believe that the cost is a difficult hurdle realize “it doesn’t have to be.” Totino said, “I believe something that is really important to the mission of Framingham State is accessibility, that we make ourselves available to students who want to pursue a baccalaureate degree, so not only accessible, but affordable.” Junior art education major Paige Rainville said they hope “high schoolers will hear about this and they can pursue their education that they may want, but may not be able to afford.” Freshman nutrition major Luke Coutu said he knows “a few of my friends are coming here because of [the Promise].” Sophomore computer science major Valerie Hernandez said she believes the program will help “people from diverse backgrounds, especially immigrants.” Sophomore ASL interpreting major Emma Schor said, “In my opinion, [the program] should also include out-of-state residents or people who are not from Massachusetts because we are paying more to go here.” Freshman art education major Io Phillips said, “There should be a little bit more aid for out-of-state students, if possible.” Sophomore studio art major Marian Awuah said this will relieve some of the pressure students get when paying their tuition. Junior elementary education major Estrella Barbel said the program will decrease stress for students who pay for tuition on their own, including herself. “It’s something that’s really nice because I can actually afford to come here now, and I’m not stressing out more about paying my tuition,” Barbel said. Freshman pre-engineering major Aesyn Lane said, referring to the program, “That’s pretty awesome. It enables people who might not have a lot of income and those who don’t want to get a huge amount of debt to be able to access a school.”