Today, Northern Arizona University (NAU) announced it will provide a tuition-free college education for every Arizona resident with a household income of $65,000 or below, assuring tuition will be fully covered by scholarships and financial aid. Approximately 50 percent of Arizona households currently meet this financial threshold.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are an Arizona resident and live in a household where your family income is at or below $65,000 per year, which is the current median for the state, you have an opportunity to come to NAU\u2014tuition-free,\u201d NAU President Jos\u00e9 Luis Cruz Rivera<\/strong> said.<\/p>\n NAU will continue to provide generous financial aid packages for students living in households with incomes above $65,000. NAU\u2019s cost of attendance for all students will remain lower than other in-state options, ensuring every Arizonan has access to an affordable, high-quality education at NAU.<\/p>\n These changes take effect in Fall 2023 for first-year and transfer students who attend NAU in Flagstaff or at one of the university\u2019s sites throughout Arizona.<\/p>\n NAU\u2019s Access2Excellence (A2E) initiative was created to broaden access to higher education and increase attainment of valuable postsecondary credentials for Arizona residents\u2014fueling economic and social mobility in Arizona and throughout the nation.<\/p>\n Arizona\u2019s economy continues to be among the most prosperous and fastest-growing in the nation, while the state\u2019s educational attainment is among the lowest.<\/p>\n \u201cNAU\u2019s Access2Excellence initiative is a transformative step to help bridge our state\u2019s attainment gap and provide an affordable pathway to college, ensuring Arizona develops and retains talent that can participate in the high-tech, high-skill jobs that power the economy of the future,\u201d said Neil Giuliano, President and CEO of Greater Phoenix Leadership.<\/p>\n \u201cAffordability of college is top of mind for many, and this program ensures that tuition is not a barrier,\u201d Cruz Rivera said. \u201cIt\u2019s the embodiment of our university\u2019s commitment to excellence and delivering equitable postsecondary value to all our students. NAU\u2019s high-quality academic programs and exceptional services support students in achieving transformative postcollege outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Access2Excellence initiative underscores NAU\u2019s commitment to eliminate obstacles that undermine the college-going aspirations of students from diverse economic, social and cultural backgrounds,\u201d said Lyndel Manson, Chair of the Arizona Board of Regents. \u201cI\u2019m thrilled that NAU is taking the lead in showing Arizona students and families that college is attainable and affordable\u2014and that college is a real option for them.\u201d<\/p>\n The initiative builds on other complementary efforts by NAU to address the state\u2019s attainment needs. In March, NAU launched a pilot program that assures admission for hard-working, qualified students who meet Arizona high school graduation requirements with a 3.0 GPA or higher. This program eliminated an access barrier for thousands of high-achieving Arizona high school students.<\/p>\n \u201cNAU aims to be a leading university for access, success and equitable value. The Access2Excellence initiative is only one in a series of actions aimed at delivering on this mission and better serving all Arizonans,\u201d Cruz Rivera said. \u201cThere is more to come, including reimaging our statewide footprint, expanding and updating our programmatic offerings and finalizing our Strategic Roadmap to help guide our actions well into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"