Emory & Henry University has announced a free tuition program for eligible students from Virginia.
The new program, launching for new and transfer students enrolling for fall 2026, will cover tuition for in-state students after other federal and state aid is applied. Eligible students must come from a household with an adjusted gross income of $85,000 or less and a FAFSA student aid index of 3,000 or less.
“The unfortunate reality is that cost can often hold a student back from a transformative education,” said Emory & Henry President Lou Fincher in a press release. “Not anymore. This program breaks down that barrier for many families and helps put an Emory & Henry education within reach for those who might not have thought it possible.”
Recipients of the Emory & Henry Promise program will continue to pay for food, housing, books and fees. Undergraduate housing costs about $6,000 to $10,000 per year, and meal plans add another $6,000 to $7,000 annually for residential students. Commuter students will still pay for books, fees and optional dining plans.
The private university in Emory has about 950 undergraduate students.
Fall 2026 will also be the first semester under E&H’s new tuition plan. The university lowered its published undergraduate tuition from nearly $40,000 to just under $20,000 to better reflect what students typically pay after scholarships and financial aid are applied.
“Emory & Henry will continue to offer generous academic merit, performance and affinity scholarships as well as need-based financial aid to all new and returning students that will reduce tuition even further, regardless of eligibility for the tuition Promise,” the university’s announcement Wednesday noted.
Several other colleges and universities in the region offer last-dollar financial aid programs.
Ferrum College and Radford University offer free tuition for some in-state, low-income students.
Hollins University launched a last-dollar aid program in 2021 that catered to students living within a 40-mile radius of Roanoke. In 2024, it expanded the program to nationwide applicants.
E&H is on probation for financial concerns by its accreditor, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, through June 2026.
