Students at a New York City college were given a welcome surprise on their first day of classes.
Thanks to alumni donors, all graduating seniors of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art will receive free tuition. This will apply for the next four years, so current freshman, sophomores and juniors will also go tuition-free when they become seniors.
Outgoing school president Laura Sparks surprised students with the news, which comes amid the school’s mission to return to full-tuition scholarships for all undergraduates by the 2028-29 school year.
“In 2018, we began an ambitious journey to provide full-tuition scholarships for all of our undergraduate students,” said Sparks. “The response to our plan and the dedication of Cooper Union alumni and New York City funders have been tremendous,” Sparks said in a press release. “Thanks to the generosity of three extraordinary alumni donors, we are removing a major financial burden for our graduating classes and reaffirming the ideals that have been foundational to this institution since Peter Cooper opened its doors in 1859."
The school said current seniors who made payments for the fall semester will receive refunds via The Cooper Union, and will not pay tuition in the spring.
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The Cooper Union has held tuition flat for six years and has increased scholarship levels.
Tuition for undergraduate students at The Cooper Union costs $44,550 for the 2024-25 academic school year, according to the school’s website. But each admitted student is awarded a half-tuition scholarship valued at $22,275 per year, the school says.
The Cooper Union is a private college in Lower Manhattan that offers degrees in art, architecture and engineering.
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