Students from NC families earning less than $200,000 can attend Wake Forest University tuition-free

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — Wake Forest University announced that admitted undergraduates from North Carolina with annual family incomes less than $200,000 per year can attend tuition-free, beginning for students admitted for the 2026 fall semester.  

The initiative is called the North Carolina Gateway to Wake Forest University. The university said the NCGtWFU means:

• Admitted students from North Carolina with an annual family income of $100,000 or less will receive financial aid covering tuition and standard living expenses.
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• Admitted students from North Carolina with an annual family income between $100,000 and $200,000 will receive financial aid covering tuition and will only pay standard living expenses and applicable fees.
• Admitted students from North Carolina with an annual family income between $200,000 and $300,000 will receive financial aid covering 50% of tuition.

“The North Carolina Gateway to Wake Forest University demonstrates our deep commitment to students from our home state,” President Susan R. Wente said. “It says clearly to students and families who may not have considered Wake Forest because of cost: ‘Wake Forest is within your reach.’”

“We want to demonstrate our affordability to North Carolina families,” Vice President for Enrollment Eric Maguire said. “More of our undergraduate students come from North Carolina than from any other state. The program will allow families to see and understand their likely out-of-pocket costs from the beginning. That level of assurance and transparency will help more North Carolina families envision Wake Forest as a possibility.”