U of I to offer free tuition to some in-state students

The University of Illinois has just released a plan to provide free tuition to some middle-income families in Illinois, ABC 7 Chicago reported.

The new "Illinois Commitment" program will provide financial awards to cover the tuition and campus fees for in-state students whose family income is less than $61,000, according to a news release from the university.

U of I said the program will be open to freshman and transfer students on the Urbana campus beginning with the entering freshman class in 2019.

Freshmen who meet the program's criteria will have the financial aid necessary to cover the cost of tuition and campus fees for up to eight semesters of continuous enrollment on the Urbana campus. Transfer students will be covered for up to six semesters, according to the release.

U of I said the program will be funded through a combination of institutional, federal and state aid, including Pell Grants and Monetary Award Program grants.

The program was created after "listening to students about why they were choosing to attend college out of state."

For more information, visit admissions.illinois.edu/commitment.