Free Tuition in the South: Colleges That Cover Costs for Families Making Under $100k, $150k, or $200

A growing number of universities are stepping up with free tuition programs tied to family income levels.

College costs have risen dramatically over the last three decades, leaving many families wondering how they’ll afford higher education. The good news? A growing number of universities are stepping up with free tuition programs tied to family income levels. For families earning less than $100,000, $150,000, or even $200,000, these programs can remove one of the biggest financial hurdles to sending a child to college.

If you’re a parent in the South, you may be surprised to learn that several well-respected universities in Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina already have programs that promise tuition-free education for qualified families. This blog post will walk you through how these programs work, which schools are leading the way, and how to use tools like the FAFSA and Common Data Set (CDS) to make the smartest financial decisions for your student.

How Do Free Tuition Programs Work?

Free tuition programs are typically made possible through one of three channels:

Endowment-funded aid (private universities): Schools with very large endowments (think Rice, Duke, Harvard, Princeton) use investment income to cover tuition for families under certain income thresholds.
State promise programs (public universities): Some public university systems guarantee free tuition for in-state students if family income falls below a certain amount. The University of Texas system is one example.
Institutional or regional grants: Some smaller colleges (such as Bob Jones University in South Carolina) set income thresholds for tuition-free education, sometimes paired with residency requirements.

While the phrase “free tuition” is powerful, it’s important to remember it usually applies only to tuition. Families are still responsible for room, board, fees, and personal expenses. At some institutions (especially private ones), lower-income families may also receive support for housing and meals, but that isn’t always the case.

Free Tuition Colleges in the South (Under $100k

Let’s start with options for families earning up to $100,000 annually.

University of Texas System — Promise Plus

The UT System offers several “Promise” programs across its campuses. For example, UT Austin’s Texas Advance Commitment guarantees free tuition for Texas residents with family incomes up to $65,000, and tuition support for those up to $125,000. Other UT campuses have similar thresholds, often extending to families earning up to $100,000.

Rice University — The Rice Investment

Located in Houston, Rice University offers one of the most generous tuition policies in the South.

Families earning $75,000 or less with typical assets receive full tuition, fees, room, and board.
Families earning between $75,000 and $140,000 qualify for free tuition (though not necessarily housing and meals).

Learn more about the Rice Investment

Texas Southern University (TSU Promise Program)

Texas Southern University recently launched the TSU Promise Program, which covers tuition and mandatory fees for eligible Texas residents with family incomes below $125,000. While the cutoff is slightly above $100k, it’s a strong option for middle-income families.

Details on TSU Promise

Bob Jones University — Free Tuition for SC Residents

In South Carolina, Bob Jones University offers free tuition for state residents with family incomes of $100,000 or less, after other aid is applied. The program ensures affordability for in-state families who might otherwise overlook a private option.

Explore BJU’s free tuition program

Horry-Georgetown Technical College (South Carolina)

HGTC continues to offer “Zero Tuition” programs for select academic years, covering full tuition for eligible students in specific programs. It’s a community college option that can reduce costs for the first two years before transferring to a four-year university.

HGTC Zero Tuition details

Free Tuition Colleges in the South (Under $150k)

Families earning between $100,000 and $150,000 often feel “stuck in the middle”: too high for traditional need-based aid, but not high enough to comfortably pay $80,000 a year for a private college. Thankfully, several institutions are addressing this gap.

Duke University — NC and SC Residents

In 2023, Duke University announced that it would cover full tuition for undergraduate students from North Carolina and South Carolina whose families earn $150,000 or less. This applies regardless of whether the student attends a public or private high school.

Duke Financial Aid — Carolinas Initiative

Columbia University (Comparison Example)

While not in the South, Columbia University covers tuition for families making up to $150,000 with typical assets. It’s worth mentioning here because it shows how elite universities nationwide are raising income thresholds to include more middle-class families.

Columbia’s affordability initiative

Princeton University (Comparison Example)

Princeton covers tuition for families making up to $150,000, and for many under that threshold, even room and board costs are eliminated. While it’s not southern, it sets the standard for how endowment-rich schools are redefining affordability.

Princeton Financial Aid Overview

Colleges Offering Free Tuition up to $200k

It might surprise parents to know that some of the world’s most selective universities now waive tuition for families earning as much as $200,000. These aren’t southern schools, but they’re important for context.

Harvard University — Starting with the 2025–26 school year, Harvard will cover tuition for families earning $200,000 or less. Families earning $100,000 or less will also have room and board covered.
MIT — Covers tuition for families with incomes up to $200,000 with typical assets.
Stanford University — Tuition is free for families earning under $150,000, with generous aid extending above that threshold.

FAFSA: The Key to Unlocking Aid

Whether your student is applying to a state university or an Ivy League school, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the entry point for all federal and most institutional aid. Completing the FAFSA each year:

Determines eligibility for Pell Grants, federal loans, and work-study.
Provides the income and asset information universities use to award their own institutional scholarships and need-based grants.
Ensures your family is considered for Promise Programs at state universities, which typically require FAFSA completion.

Even if you think you earn too much to qualify for federal aid, many universities (including Duke, Rice, and UT Austin) require FAFSA submission before awarding free-tuition guarantees.

Using the Common Data Set (CDS) to Compare Schools

Parents often feel like they’re comparing apples to oranges when evaluating financial aid policies. That’s where the Common Data Set (CDS) comes in. The CDS is a standardized report that most colleges publish annually, containing detailed information about:

Average financial aid awards for different income brackets
Percentage of students receiving need-based vs merit aid
Institutional grants and scholarships by category
Breakdowns of cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room, board, personal expenses)

For example, if you want to know how many students at Rice receive institutional grants, or the average grant size for families earning $75,000–$150,000, you can usually find it in the CDS.

Where to find it: search “University Name Common Data Set PDF” in Google. Many universities (e.g., Duke CDS) publish it openly on their institutional research websites.

What Parents Should Watch Out For

Tuition ≠ Total Cost: Free tuition doesn’t eliminate room, board, or fees (which can add $15,000–$20,000 per year).
“Typical Assets” Clause: If your family has unusually high investments or savings, you may not qualify even if your income fits.
Highly Selective Admissions: Many of the schools offering the most generous aid (Rice, Duke, Princeton) admit fewer than 10–15% of applicants. Consider them financial aid “lottery tickets” — apply broadly.
Deadlines Matter: Most programs require early FAFSA completion and school-specific financial aid forms (often the CSS Profile).

Conclusion

For families in the South, the news is encouraging: free tuition isn’t just a dream for students from the lowest-income households. Programs now reach deep into the middle class, helping families earning under $100,000, $150,000, or even $200,000 afford college.

From Texas Southern University’s TSU Promise to Duke’s Carolina Initiative and Rice University’s generous Rice Investment, southern families have real options close to home. Beyond the South, elite universities like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford are expanding access as well.

The key is planning early: complete the FAFSA, research your student’s target schools, and dig into each school’s Common Data Set to see how generous they really are. With the right information, families can make confident choices — and perhaps send their students to college tuition-free.