Wake Forest University Tuition-Free for NC Families Under $200K Income Starting 2026 (2025)

Wake Forest University announced today that undergraduates from North Carolina with annual family incomes less than $200,000 per year will attend tuition-free, beginning for students admitted for the 2026 fall semester.

For North Carolina students with an annual family income less than $100,000, financial aid will cover the cost of standard living expenses in addition to the full cost of tuition. Students from North Carolina with an annual family income between $200,000 and $300,000 will be eligible for financial aid covering 50% of tuition.

Called the North Carolina Gateway to Wake Forest University, the initiative aims to create more opportunities for talented, high-achieving North Carolina students to attend Wake Forest regardless of family income.

The North Carolina Gateway to Wake Forest University demonstrates our deep commitment to students from our home state. It says clearly to students and families who may not have considered Wake Forest because of cost: ‘Wake Forest is within your reach.’”

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Wake Forest University President Susan R. Wente

“This initiative is also personal for me,” Wente said. “As a Pell grant recipient, private colleges in my home state felt entirely out of reach. I want talented North Carolinians from across the income spectrum to know they can come to Wake Forest and receive a transformational education.”

The North Carolina Gateway to Wake Forest University means:

• Admitted students from North Carolina with an annual family income of $100,000 or less will receive financial aid covering tuition and standard living expenses.
• Admitted students from North Carolina with an annual family income between $100,000 and $200,000 will receive financial aid covering tuition — only paying standard living expenses and applicable fees.
• Admitted students from North Carolina with an annual family income between $200,000 and $300,000 will receive financial aid covering 50% of tuition.

“We want to demonstrate our affordability to North Carolina families,” Vice President for Enrollment Eric Maguire said. “More of our undergraduate students come from North Carolina than from any other state. The program will allow families to see and understand their likely out-of-pocket costs from the beginning. That level of assurance and transparency will help more North Carolina families envision Wake Forest as a possibility.”

The initiative is part of Wake Forest’s longstanding commitment to minimize student loans by increasing financial aid and scholarships.

“We are grateful for the generous support of donors,” Wente said. “Their investments in undergraduate scholarships and financial aid at Wake Forest are crucial to our ongoing efforts to increase access and affordability for low and middle-income families.”

Wake Forest meets 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens, regardless of their family income.