College Seem Out of Reach? The JWU Pledge Could Make It Happen.

If you’re considering college but worry that you can’t afford the tuition, don’t let that hold you back. There are options for lowering tuition costs and even completely covering them. The JWU Pledge is a new initiative and commitment to make a JWU degree more affordable for students and families — especially those with household incomes under $200,000.

Starting with our Fall 2025 undergraduate class, the JWU Pledge, that combines institutional, federal, and state scholarships and grants, will cover between 60% and 100% of tuition for new and transfer students at both the Providence Campus and Charlotte Campus who meet the eligibility criteria, below.

Eligibility Based on Family Income

• Income up to $80,000: 100% of tuition is covered.
• Income between $80,001 and $200,000: 60% minimum of tuition is covered.

Additional Eligibility Requirements

• Must complete and file a FAFSA.
• Must have a minimum high school GPA of 3.2.
• Must be eligible for a Pell Grant (for those seeking 100% tuition coverage).
• Must live on campus.
• Must be a resident of Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina or Rhode Island.
• Students attending the College of Professional Studies or graduate/post-baccalaureate/second bachelor's degree programs are not eligible.

In addition to making college more affordable, another important goal of the JWU Pledge is to make it easier for students to find out the amount of financial aid they are eligible for up front, possibly eliminating the fear of having to pay full tuition and helping students plan for any expenses outside of tuition.

Johnson & Wales University Chancellor Mim L. Runey, LP.D., explains why JWU is taking this next step to make it possible for more students who are interested in an undergraduate degree to reach that goal regardless of financial circumstances.

“At JWU, we are committed to creating access to the lifelong benefits of a higher education. With our new initiative, the JWU Pledge, we are formalizing our longstanding commitment to making college even more affordable and accessible to regional students, especially those with the greatest need. Thanks to the support of donors and alumni, we are able to offer the JWU Pledge as an important new addition to our financial aid packages designed to help our students reach their educational and professional goals successfully.”

Vice President of Undergraduate Enrollment Management Meredith Twombly answers questions and provides more details about JWU Pledge.

Q. What led to creating the JWU Pledge and why now?

“We know from engaging with families, that affordability is a top concern for most of them. Repeated surveys have shown that many students will not even apply to colleges they might otherwise be interested in because the sticker price looks too far out of reach for their family. One way to address that is through more transparent pricing. We hope that by giving families a more concrete idea of the aid they are eligible for at the outset — meaning before we ask them to fill out an application, they will be able to move through the admission process with greater knowledge and confidence.”

Q. Through the JWU Pledge we want to make it clear to anyone considering applying to college that there is more financial aid available than they might think. To find out what type of aid you are eligible for and how to get started, what is the most important first step?

"Everyone who meets the eligibility criteria for the JWU Pledge must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) because that's how we can verify their income and their Federal Pell Grant eligibility. Also, by virtue of those two things, students are eligible for up to $7,395 in Pell Grant aid per year, along with any state aid that their home state might offer — which is really the starting point of building their financial aid package. Beyond that, JWU will add merit scholarship and Johnson & Wales’ need-based grant aid."

Q. It has been shown that students who do not complete the FAFSA are less likely to attend a college. Can you provide some background on that?

"We know that to be true based on both national data and our experience at JWU. I hope one outcome of the JWU Pledge is to give more students the motivation to file the FAFSA."

Q. In October 2024 JWU announced another new initiative slated to begin in Fall 2025 at the Providence Campus — a Three-Year Career-Focused Degree program that will reduce tuition costs by eliminating one full year from the time needed to complete a bachelor’s degree. Are these two initiatives connected and are they part of a larger goal for JWU?

"They are definitely part of a broader JWU initiative to answer the call to make higher education, particularly a JWU experience, more accessible — and quite frankly more affordable. We take pride in being a university that responds to the needs of both students and industry. That is our mission — to help students access the education and careers that will set them up for success in the jobs of the future. And that recipe for life-long success includes less time to earn a degree and less dependence on student loans."

Q. In recent years, many community colleges across the country, including North Carolina and Rhode Island, began offering free tuition. Now a growing number of institutions are announcing plans to offer completely or substantially covered tuition for bachelor's degrees. What is the driver for this trend, and do you see it as temporary or a long lasting, sustainable change across the higher education landscape?

"I think we are seeing the beginning of a sustained shift toward greater pricing transparency and affordability — which I'm very excited about. Tuition discounting has been increasing at most colleges for several years, but higher ed has failed to make that clear to families. Instead, the "real" pricing of higher ed has long been unnecessarily opaque and confusing."

With the addition of JWU’s three-year degree program and the JWU Pledge, both kicking off in Fall 2025, Johnson & Wales is more dedicated than ever to making college degrees a reality for any student who desires one — rather than a financial hardship that in many cases keeps them from even applying. And we urge all students to take that important first step on their path to a college degree by filling out the FAFSA.

If you're interested in JWU’s undergraduate degree programs, take a look at our traditional four-year degree programs offered at both our Providence and Charlotte campuses, and check out our three-year bachelor’s degree programs, held at our Providence Campus. For details on how to apply, visit undergraduate admissions or contact our Providence Admissions office at 1-800-342-5598 or our Charlotte Admissions office at 866-598-2427. For financial aid information, visit our Applying for Financial Aid page.

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