The Oldest Private HBCU Promises Free Tuition to Select Students

Founded in 1856 by members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Wilberforce is the first predominantly African-American private university in the nation. Wilberforce was originally formed to provide an intellectual Mecca and refuge from slavery’s first rule: ignorance.

Following the same lines the institution is going one step forward and seeking to break the barriers of poverty in education. As according to a recent report, very few parents are able to save for their kid’s college education, the new Wilberforce Promise has come to rescue. Under the program, nearly 100 students will be provided free tuition and they will graduate with a bachelor’s degree debt free. Students would get a combination of scholarships, grants, and/or work study to cover the entire four years of tuition including food and housing.

The promise makes it clear that the students from all economic backgrounds are equally welcome at the university and they can count on it for education. In fact, it’s much more than a financial aid program. It’s a University’s commitment to support the success of scholars from beginning till the end.

The Wilberforce Promise

To be eligible for free tuition a student must:

• Be admitted to the University as a first-time undergraduate for the upcoming academic year 2015-2016 (CLIMB, Transfer, Distance Education, and Graduate students are currently ineligible);
• Enroll full-time (12 hours or more) during the regular academic year;
• Make Satisfactory Academic Progress as defined by the U.S. Department of Education and Wilberforce University;
• Live on-campus;
• Be a dependent student (as defined by federal regulations);
• Have an estimated family contribution (EFC) of less than 2190;
• Meet citizenship requirements and other eligibility standards for federal financial aid programs.

Students do not have to enroll or apply for the program. Consideration is automatic once a student is admitted to the University and has completed an application for financial aid. For more information visit the Wilberforce financial aid website.