By Courtney Tanner | The Salt Lake Tribune | Photo by Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune

For students coming from Utah’s lowest-income families, a university education could now be entirely free.

With a major initiative announced Tuesday, the University of Utah will be offering fully covered tuition and fees for any accepted students in households earning less than $100,000 total per year.

“No student should have to choose between pursuing a college education and their family’s financial security,” said U. President Taylor Randall in a statement.

The tuition guarantee, called the “Utah Promise,” is a significant step for the state’s flagship public university — and its most expensive. The initiative also comes as state lawmakers have been pushing for higher education to be more affordable and accessible.

Hundreds of students could be supported by the new offer, which will launch for new, first-time Utah students who start classes in fall 2026, the university announced.

Interested students need to apply to the U. by the Dec. 1 priority deadline (the application is free for residents) and be accepted to qualify. And they must graduate high school with a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher.

Read more at SLTrib.com.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.