Yale to make college fully cost free for families under USD 100000

Yale University has announced a major expansion of undergraduate financial aid that will make Yale “cost-free” (tuition plus other expected costs) for new undergraduates from families earning under $100,000 a year, and make tuition free for many families earning under $200,000. The policy is slated to apply to students entering in Fall 2026 (2026–27 academic year).

What Yale announced for Fall 2026 undergraduates?

Yale said it will waive tuition and other expected costs for incoming undergraduates from families earning below $100,000 annually, expanding the earlier threshold that was lower. For families earning below $200,000, Yale said it will provide need-based scholarships that cover at least tuition—but families may still have non-tuition costs depending on their financial profile.

Quick snapshot (as reported)

What “free” may still depend on?

Yale’s undergraduate aid is need-based and determined through a holistic evaluation of a family’s financial circumstances (income, assets, and other factors), rather than a simple cutoff. Yale also communicates that there is no fixed income cutoff for aid and that awards can vary widely by household profile—an important caveat for families with higher assets.

What this means for Indian students applying to Yale College?

For Indian applicants, the most consequential detail is that Yale states it is need-blind for undergraduate admissions regardless of citizenship or immigration status and provides need-based financial aid to admitted students based on individual need assessment.

That means Indian students who apply for aid are still evaluated through Yale’s need-based process, and this new messaging around $100,000 / $200,000 may increase clarity for families in (or near) those bands—but your final package will still depend on Yale’s calculation of demonstrated need.

If you’re planning around this announcement, use Yale’s official affordability and cost-estimation tools and guidance pages to check expected contributions and what counts in the “cost of attendance.”