Whitman College Caps Tuition at 10% of Parental Income to Counter $90,000 Sticker Shock
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 21
Whitman College Caps Tuition at 10% of Parental Income to Counter $90,000 Sticker Shock
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 21
Summary
Starting June 21, Whitman College will charge applicants no more than 10% of parental adjusted gross income, using Line 11a on a family's 1040 tax form.
The Walla Walla, Washington, liberal arts college is pitching the policy as a plain-language alternative to opaque aid formulas that usually require students to apply before learning their actual price.
Whitman adopted the cap after applications fell among upper-middle-class families, many of whom earn too much for substantial need-based aid but cannot absorb the school's nearly $90,000 annual list price.
Brandeis University rolled out a similar pricing-transparency tool last month, signaling a broader push by some colleges to give families binding or near-binding cost estimates earlier in the admissions process.