William & Mary Will Cover Tuition for Virginia Pell Grant Recipients

• The College of William & Mary in Virginia will cover the cost of tuition and fees for Pell Grant-eligible students.
• The program applies to students from Virginia, although the school also offers need-based scholarships to out-of-state students.
• The new financial aid program will start with the 2023-24 academic year.

The College of William & Mary in Virginia will cover the cost of tuition and fees for in-state Pell Grant-eligible students starting next academic year.

William & Mary announced the new tuition program late last month. It will apply to all in-state undergraduate students enrolled in fall 2023, including new, returning, first-year, and transfer students.

President Kathrine A. Rowe in a statement said the college's goal is to increase the number of Pell Grant-eligible undergraduates it enrolls to 20% over the next four years.

“This program will ensure William & Mary can continue to recruit the best and brightest, without regards to family means. It marks a key milestone in our continued efforts to increase access and affordability for all of our community,” Rowe said.

The percentage of in-state Pell Grant recipients enrolled at William & Mary has increased from 15% in 2016 to roughly 17% this year, according to officials.

William & Mary also announced that it will offer additional financial assistance to students who have needs beyond tuition and fees based on students’ FAFSA and College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile. It will also offer need-based financial assistance to out-of-state students as well — up to $20,000 for qualifying students.

“This is a minimum, not a maximum guarantee,” William & Mary Dean of Admission Tim Wolfe said in a statement. “The program announced today is part of a broad commitment to increase socio-economic diversity across campus and to continue supporting our students with financial need.”

This academic year marks the fifth year in a row that William & Mary has held tuition flat for all in-state undergraduate students. According to the university, in-state tuition and fees for the 2022-23 academic year total $23,970.