One U.S. college is fixing tuition at just 10% of parental income: ‘We’re not hiding the cost of college behind secret formulas’

Many U.S. college degrees now come with a six-figure price tag, forcing families into debt and stunting the financial livelihood of young workers. But at one small liberal arts school in the U.S., students don’t have to choose between academic ambition and a lifetime of payments. Whitman College, a private college in Walla Walla, Washington, will now fix its tuition at just 10% of family earnings in a push to rein in the rising cost of a degree. The school’s 10% Promise is guaranteed for all four years, and will be available to all first-year and transfer students who enroll in fall 2027. Whitman joins a growing movement of colleges confronting the growing unattainability of pursuing a higher degree. Now, the selective Washington school with a student population of around 1,500 hopes to slash the price for thousands to come. “We’re not hiding the cost of college behind secret formulas—it’s basic math, no mystery,” Whitman College says on its website. “Your family will never pay more than 10% of their income toward tuition.” How students can apply to the capped tuition Unlike other cumbersome aid processes, Whitman has made it easy to apply—and it’s open to all students. Prospective students simply need to calculate a tenth of their parents’ adjusted gross income (Line 11 on Form 1040 of their tax return) and fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The “Whitman 10% Promise” website even provides a calculator to work out the scholarship amount, how much of Whitman’s tuition it would cover, and what would be left to pay. Over the next three years the aid will expand until all future Whitman students can get in on the benefit, Whitman says. And while pupils will still have to cover their other living costs—housing, school supplies, and dinning—it’s a novel approach that’s tackling the affordability of college. Tuition is skyrocketing—and colleges are responding A college degree has long been lauded as the great career accelerator, but for many stu