Rutgers Free or Reduced Tuition for Many Students

Rutgers University has announced a new program, Scarlet Guarantee, that will be available to students effective the fall of 2022. It will allow students at the University’s flagship campus in New Brunswick-Piscataway to attend college tuition-free if their families earn less than $65,000 annually.  Furthermore, tuition will be significantly decreased for families that earn less than $100,000 annually.  Students will be billed no more than $3,000 for tuition and fees if their families earn between $65,000 and $80,000 annually, and no more than $5,000 if earning between $80,000 and $100,000.  The program does not cover the costs of room and board, books, or transportation.

While tuition has not yet been determined for the 2022-2023 academic year, current in-state tuition and fees for undergraduates on the New Brunswick-Piscataway campus average $15,804.  

Students utilizing the Scarlet Guarantee must be undergraduates in their first four years of college. Those who take longer than four years to complete their degree, even if they are in programs such as the six-year pharmacy degree, will not be guaranteed the reduced tuition after four years.  Also, students must maintain a minimum grade point average.

Rutgers-New Brunswick is joining a growing list of New Jersey colleges offering guaranteed free or reduced tuition to students from low and middle income families, including Stockton University, New Jersey City University and St. Peter’s University.  

Rutgers-Camden and Rutgers-Newark already have variations of the Scarlet Guarantee.  New Jersey also offers the Community College Opportunity Grant, which provides tuition-free education at the state’s 18 county colleges for students with family incomes of less than $65,000 annually.    

Students do not need to fill out a separate application to be eligible for the Scarlet Guarantee, according to NJ.com. New and current students will reportedly be considered if they fill out the FAFSA or the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application when they apply for financial aid. But new students who were accepted into Rutgers-New Brunswick for the next fall semester will need to accept their offer of admission by May 1st to qualify for the Scarlet Guarantee.

Immigrants living in the country illegally, often referred to as Dreamers, may also qualify for the Scarlet Guarantee, according to Rutgers officials. They must file the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application. 

Rutgers will reportedly hold hour-long online information sessions about the Scarlet Guarantee program on March 8th and March 24th at 6 pm.  A special session for transfer students will be held on April 6th at 6 pm. 

Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review that, for the past 25 years, has offered PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362