This week in college admissions, Tufts goes tuition-free for many students, the House’s new spending plan keeps the Pell Grant program intact, high school students’ test scores fall, and dual-enrollment programs lead to positive outcomes.
Beginning in the fall of 2026, Tufts will be tuition-free for students from families making less than $150,000. Students whose families earn less than $60,000 will typically receive a financial aid package with no student loans. The new policy, known as the Tufts Tuition Pact, aims to make Tufts affordable for every admitted undergraduate.
The House of Representatives has released its spending plan for higher education. The proposed bill cuts the Department of Education budget by 15% but preserves funding for the Pell Grant program, as well as the TRIO college-access initiative for low-income, first-generation, or disabled students. The House will vote on the bill next week.
U.S. 12th-grade students’ reading and math scores have fallen on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the “Nation’s Report Card.” Nearly 45% of high school seniors scored below the “basic” level in math, and about one-third did so in reading.
Dual-enrollment programs, which allow high school students to take college classes, are growing in popularity, and recent studies show dual-enrollment students are more likely to apply and be admitted to selective colleges. Students who take dual-enrollment courses are also more likely to receive grants and scholarships.
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