The University of New England announced that beginning next fall, students whose families earn less than $100,000 will be offered free tuition, about $42,000 a year.
To qualify, students must have a high school GPA of 3.85 or higher, live on campus, and attend the university on a full-time basis.
University President, James Herbert, said this program is targeted to help new students who are already interested in UNE.
"We're probably talking in the dozens, definitely not the hundreds, just given our population and who this is targeted for, and we can accommodate those students," Herbert said.
Last year, 75 students who applied to the University of New England would have met the criteria.
Herbert said that if a student qualifies for the new free tuition program, that will be noted in their financial aid package and will be automatically applied in an attempt to lower barriers to entry for the program.
Students who qualify will still have to cover room and board, which starts at $17,000.
The program is targeted for new, incoming students and those already attending the university will not be eligible.
