Ripon College, April 21, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
RIPON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Ripon College says it is trying to make higher education more affordable and achievable.
The Ripon Commitment, which was unveiled Wednesday, is a two-part financial aid program for students who are Wisconsin residents.
Incoming first-year and transfer students from a household making $75,000 or less a year will have their entire tuition fees paid for through scholarships and grants.
“I think that students will definitely benefit from this and they will actually be able to focus on their education rather than focusing on how they will pay for their education,” said Ji’Mya Sullivan-Owens, who graduated from Ripon College this past spring.
The Ripon Commitment won’t start until the 2025 fall semester. Ripon College leaders estimate roughly 1/3 of first-year and transfer students would be eligible for free tuition.
“For many families, they don’t believe that a private liberal arts education is within reach, and we’re providing transparency and making it very clear of the affordability of Ripon College,” said Ripon College President Victoria Folse.
Ripon College says first-year and transfer students coming from a household making more than $75,000 a year will receive enough financial aid to align Ripon’s tuition with that of tuition at UW-Madison.
To compare, for the upcoming academic year, undergraduate tuition fees at UW-Madison are estimated at $11,606 for a state resident.
At Ripon, undergraduate tuition is estimated at around $51,600 for the upcoming academic year.
“We’re in a period of investment and so we know that to navigate the future we need to provide resources for students to attend,” said Folse.
Ripon College says over the last three years, enrollment has remained steady at more than 200 first-year and transfer students each year. They hope this new program will help grow the campus even more.
“I definitely see it going in that direction, that we would be attracting students from other parts of the state of Wisconsin that perhaps we don’t have this large of populations on campus, but I think that this will be very intriguing to those families,” said Ripon College Vice President for Enrollment Jennifer Machacek.
Financial assistance through the Ripon Commitment will not include housing or meals.
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