How much does it cost to go to rutgers university for 4 years

Anticipating exactly how much college will cost just got a little simpler for thousands of students currently attending or thinking of applying to Rutgers University’s flagship campus.

Rutgers-New Brunswick officials unveiled a new financial aid program earlier this week, called the Scarlet Guarantee, that promises free tuition and mandatory fees for students in families that earn less than $65,000 a year. Families that make less than $100,000 a year will also be guaranteed significantly reduced tuition.

The financial effect of the pandemic on New Jersey families prompted Rutgers to step up efforts to offer free and reduced tuition for low-income and middle class families, officials said.

“That’s part of the reason we are doing our program,” said Francine Conway, Rutgers–New Brunswick’s chancellor and provost.

Here are the details:

What is the Scarlet Guarantee?

Rutgers-New Brunswick is simplifying and enhancing its financial aid program to say exactly how much tuition and fees students will pay if their families make less than $100,000. Under the Scarlet Guarantee:

• Families with an adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less will pay no annual tuition or mandatory fees for all four years at Rutgers-New Brunswick.
• Families with an adjusted gross income of $65,001 to $80,000 will pay no more than $3,000 per year in tuition and mandatory fees.
• Families with an adjusted gross income of $80,001 to $100,000 will pay no more than $5,000 per year in tuition and mandatory fees.

Who qualifies?

The guarantee applies to full-time students on Rutgers’ New Brunswick-Piscataway campus only. You must be taking at least 12 credits a semester and be pursing your first bachelor’s degree.

An estimated 7,600 undergraduates — about 20% of the undergraduates on the New Brunswick campus — are expected to to qualify. That includes new students starting this fall.

Graduate students and part-time students do not qualify. But the program will apply to transfer students.

Does this mean I can go to college for free?

Probably not. The Scarlet Guarantee only applies to tuition and mandatory fees (which include the student fee, school fee and technology fee).

Students are still responsible for paying room and board, if they live on campus. Everyone also has to cover the books, transportation, parking and the other costs associated with going to college.

Some students will be able to get other financial aid and scholarships to cover room, board and some of those other costs. But most undergraduates will still have to pay something out of pocket or get loans to cover the total cost of attending Rutgers.

What does it cost to go to Rutgers?

Rutgers’ in-state tuition and fees are currently $15,804 a year for the average undergraduate on the New Brunswick-Piscataway campus. Room and board adds another $13,402 to the average bill each year to bring the total sticker price up to $29,206 a year.

Tuition for the 2022-2023 school year will be set in the summer.

Can out-of-state students apply for the Scarlet Guarantee?

No, the program is only for students who qualify for in-state tuition. Out-of-state tuition and fees at Rutgers-New Brunswick are currently about $33,005 a year before room and board are added in. That is more than double the tuition that New Jersey residents pay.

What if I’m an undocumented immigrant?

Dreamers, or young people living in the U.S. illegally, can qualify for the Scarlet Guarantee and other state-funded college financial aid. Undocumented immigrants must fill out the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application, a state financial aid application designed for New Jersey students living in the country illegally, to qualify.

Who is paying for this? Taxpayers?

Yes, the Scarlet Guarantee is partly funded by taxpayers. The new financial aid program will cost about $24 million, including about $10 million covered by the state, Rutgers officials said.

Rutgers, which is a publicly-funded university, is building the new Scarlet Guarantee program off of a new state-funded Garden State Guarantee program that already promises reduced tuition for students in their third and fourth year of college statewide in New Jersey starting this fall.

So, Rutgers is creating the Scarlet Guarantee program by adding additional university funds to the money the state is already paying for the Garden State Guarantee to create the four-year financial aid program for the New Brunswick campus.

Is Rutgers really just waiving tuition for thousands of students?

Rutgers will not be bearing the entire cost.

They Scarlet Guarantee is a “last dollar” program, which means students still apply for taxpayer-funded state and federal grants and scholarships. Then, the university covers the “last dollars,” the term for any extra money the students need to pay for tuition and fees each semester after they receive their Pell Grants, Tuitional Aid Grants and other scholarships and aid.

How do I know my family’s income?

Students qualify for the Scarlet Guarantee based on their family’s adjusted gross income or AGI. That is the total amount of money a family takes in each year from jobs, investments and other income, minus qualified deductions such as IRA contributions, student loan interest and certain business expenses.

Your AGI is usually found on your family’s tax returns filings. It is also reported each year you fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, the form students use to apply for state and federal financial aid.

What if my family makes $101,000? Do I have to pay full tuition?

Not necessarily. All Rutgers students can still fill out the FAFSA to apply for state and federal financial aid, scholarships and subsidized loans.

About 75% of Rutgers freshmen receive some financial aid, university officials said.

What if my grades are low?

You can’t keep the Scarlet Guarantee if you’re failing all your classes, school officials said. You must meet Rutgers’ minimum grade point average standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress, which range from a 1.5 GPA to a 2.0 GPA depending on how many credits you’ve completed.

What if I take more than four years to finish college?

The Scarlett Guarantee only lasts for four years. So, if you take longer than four years to graduate or you are in a longer program, including Rutgers’ six-year pharmacy program, the tuition guarantees will not extend beyond the fourth year.

How do I apply for Rutgers’ Scarlett Guarantee?

Students do not need to fill out a separate application. New and current students will be considered for the guarantee if they fill out the FAFSA or the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application when they apply for financial aid.

When does this start?

The Scarlet Guarantee starts in the Fall 2022 semester.

How can I get more information?

Rutgers will hold hour-long online information sessions about the Scarlet Guarantee program March 8 and March 24 at 6 p.m. A special session for transfer students will be help April 6 at 6 p.m.

What if I attend Rutgers-Newark or Rutgers-Camden?

Rutgers’ two other campuses are not included in the Scarlet Guarantee. But Rutgers-Camden and Rutgers-Newark both already have similar programs that promise free tuition for students from families that make less than $65,000 and discounted tuition for families that make less than $100,000.

Rutgers-Newark’s program also offers additional benefits for residents of Newark, Irvington, Orange and East Orange.

What if I attend another New Jersey college?

Several public and private New Jersey colleges, including Stockton University, New Jersey City University, Saint Peter’s University, have introduced similar tuition guarantee programs in recent years.

My public college doesn’t have a tuition guarantee program like Rutgers. Can I apply for anything else?

Yes, there are statewide programs that can be used at other New Jersey public colleges.

New Jersey has the statewide Community College Opportunity Grant that offers tuition-free, two-year degrees at New Jersey’s 18 county colleges for students whose families earn less than $65,000.

Starting this fall, students can continue to a four-year college to complete their bachelor’s degrees using the new Garden State Guarantee. That program will add a third and fourth year of tuition-free education at any of New Jersey’s public four-year colleges for families that earn less than $65,000.

The Garden State Guarantee also has a sliding scale of additional tuition discounts that will be available at the state’s public colleges for families with incomes higher than $65,000 starting this fall. Students will qualify if they fill out a FAFSA form.

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