Study In US: Rice University Offers Tuition-Free Programs

To make world-class education within reach of every student Rice University in the US has awarded a grant of more than $650M in 5 years. President Reginald DesRoches said, "Exceptional talent should never be hindered by financial barriers."

Study in US: Rice University celebrated the five years of The Rice Investment, which started in the 2019-20 academic year. This program is Rice University's signature financial aid program which transformed access to higher education at the university by covering the tuition fee and living expenses of students from low-income and middle-income families. It also reduces half of the fees of some of the students from upper-income families.

Rice President Reginald DesRoches said, "At Rice, we believe that exceptional talent should never be hindered by financial barriers. The success of The Rice Investment has solidified our commitment to ensuring that a Rice education remains accessible to students from all economic backgrounds. This program is so much more than just a financial aid package – it represents a profound investment in our students and their future.”

The Rice Investment Details

Since the start of this program, the university has granted over $651 million in total. If we compare it with the previous five years, it is an increase of 54%. Around $152 million in grant aid was given in the 2023-24 academic year alone.

Yvonne Romero, vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid commented, "The Rice Investment is one of the most transformative initiatives I’ve had the privilege to help shape. By significantly expanding our financial aid offerings and simplifying how we communicate them, we’ve set a new standard in higher education, inspiring other institutions to reimagine their own approaches. This initiative opens doors for students who might have previously believed a Rice education was beyond their reach.”

The university is working exceptionally towards making education affordable for everyone, over 50% of its students get some level of financial aid. Rice’s average annual financial aid package reached a record $63,233 in the 2023-24 academic year. Students joining from Texas are also getting the benefits, as 66% of these get financial aid with an aid package of $62,387.

"Thanks to initiatives like The Rice Investment, the percentage of students graduating with student loan debt has decreased from 25% before the program's implementation to 14% in the most recent graduating class. This figure is expected to decline as students who enrolled under the loan-free commitment, introduced in 2022, begin to graduate," added the statement.

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