Bridgewater State to Cover Tuition and Fees for Families Earning $125,000 or Less

Bridgewater State University has announced that beginning in the fall of 2025 it will cover the full cost of tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduates whose families earn $125,000 or less per year. The school says the move will make it the most affordable four-year state university in Massachusetts.

The initiative, called the Bridgewater Commitment, will be open to both new and returning full-time undergraduates who are pursuing their first bachelor's degree. To qualify, students must complete the FAFSA and must have lived in Massachusetts for at least two years before enrolling.

Bridgewater joins a growing list of Massachusetts institutions with comparable pledges. MIT will waive tuition for students from families earning under $200,000, and Brandeis will cover tuition for those from families with incomes below $75,000. The University of Massachusetts announced in October that it would cover tuition for students with family incomes of $75,000 at all four of its campuses.

University President Frederick Clark, Jr. described the program in a statement as "a transformative moment for our university and the communities we serve."

In-state tuition at Bridgewater is $11,734 a year. Housing and food add $13,346, and books are estimated at $1,200. The university also projects another $3,100 in miscellaneous expenses, for a total estimated cost of $29,380.

Laura Biechler, the university's head of financial aid, said in an interview after the announcement that the aim is for students to be free of money worries once they arrive on campus. "They're there to learn and get their education and be able to move up in the socioeconomic ladder," she said.

According to Biechler, the program's roots go back four years, when she and her team started reexamining financial aid with the goal of reaching more families. She said state and federal attention had focused on Pell Grant recipients, which was the school's first priority. The team then looked beyond that group, recognizing that students above the Pell Grant range may have more resources but still badly need extra help.

Funding for the program will come from philanthropy and fundraising, along with federal and state contributions. Biechler, who cited $90,000 as the average income for the middle class, said the program will assist students who are "firmly middle class."

"For us to be able to announce something that's inclusive, that goes far beyond the group of students we know has resource issues, that is truly for the middle class, is such an accomplishment," she said.