Purdue University to offer grant program for local students

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Purdue University will be covering "last-dollar" tuition needs for Indiana families making up to $70,000 annually starting next year.

University President Mitch Daniels announced the new Boiler Affordability Grant program on Tuesday. He told the Indianapolis Star that he hopes the program will open doors to more middle income families that previously thought a Purdue education was out of reach.

"Any higher education project, for a family, is a costly endeavor," Daniels said. "We're constantly looking for ways to make it affordable."

Like many other "last-dollar" programs, Purdue's program will cover tuition, fees and book costs after families make their expected contribution and any additional need-based aid is applied. The program won't cover room and board costs.

The grant program will be open to Indiana undergraduate students whose families meet the income threshold at the university's West Lafayette campus. It will apply to both existing students and newly enrolled students in the 2018-19 school year.

University officials estimate that about 3,000 of the university's current students would be eligible for the program. Ted Malone, executive director of Purdue's Division of Financial Aid, said officials hope to attract additional high-quality resident students to the university.

"People self-select out, because they believe they can't afford something," Malone said.

Funding for the program will come from the university's existing financial resources with money from donors and other university savings initiatives.

"We won't stop looking for ways to make certain the highest quality education available in Indiana is available at a price every family can afford," Daniels said.

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Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com