Millikin officials say a new program will make higher education more affordable for students and, for some, tuition will be free.
Called the Big Blue Pledge, it will cover 100% of undergraduate tuition for new students who:
- submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by May 1;
- be an Illinois resident (as determined by the FAFSA);
- be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant; and
- be enrolled full-time (minimum of 12 credit hours per semester) as a traditional undergraduate student at Millikin.
The Decatur school will provide grants and scholarships to fill the gap after available state and federal grants, according to the school. It will begin next fall for the 2024-25 academic year.
The Big Blue Pledge can be renewed for up to four consecutive years for students who continue to meet the eligibility criteria and make satisfactory academic progress toward their degree.
Another program, known as Millikin Tuition Promise, will reduce the tuition rate to $26,000 for all full-time traditional undergraduate students beginning in Fall 2024. The university said that represents a 36% reduction.
Millikin officials said this initiative is an expansion of the Macon Promise program, which was announced in October 2020 and provided a reduced tuition rate of $26,000 for those students who live or attend school in Macon County.
“As part of our Strategic Plan’s commitment to ‘The Millikin Difference,’ we have pledged to expand access to Millikin’s distinct brand of education, Performance Learning, through new affordability initiatives,” Millikin President Jim Reynolds said.
“Research shows that an institution’s published tuition rate, which is typically significantly higher than what students actually pay, often results in students and families ruling out institutions before they fully understand their out-of-pocket costs. Once students apply to Millikin, they discover that our competitive, personalized financial aid packages significantly reduce their actual cost — but students who choose not to apply based on published tuition price never find this out,” he said.
