Cleveland State University latest Ohio college to offer free tuition for qualified in-state students

Cleveland State University will be offering free tuition for qualified first-year students starting next year. 

Cleveland State University Board of Trustees recently approved the Cleveland State Commitment, which is for incoming first-year students with at least a 3.0 GPA who are Ohio residents whose families have an adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less.

Qualifying students will not pay tuition for up to eight consecutive semesters.  

“For too long now, the dream of a college education has not been possible for many Ohio families simply due to the cost,” Cleveland State President Laura Bloomberg said in a statement. 

“We firmly believe that access and excellence are fundamentally linked. The Cleveland State Commitment rewards hard work by opening doors and providing a financial boost for those who need it most.” 

Cleveland State will cover any tuition remaining after federal and state grants and scholarships are applied. 

Students will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid every year to determine eligibility. Students will remain eligible by maintaining a 2.0 GPA, full-time enrollment and the family income requirement. 

The Cleveland State Commitment only covers tuition. It does not cover housing, meals, books, transportation, or program-specific fees. 

“Cleveland State University is providing the certainty Ohio students and families want from higher education,” Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Mike Duffey said in a statement. 

“If you make the grade and have demonstrated need, Cleveland State will pick up the full cost of tuition for four years. This is a great initiative and I strongly support it.” 

Cleveland State undergraduate tuition for a full-time, in-state student is $6,828.00. 

Cleveland State’s enrollment has been on the decline, according to the Ohio Department of Higher Education.  

• 12,872 students enrolled during fall semester 2025
• 13,999 students — fall semester 2024 
• 14,160 students — fall semester 2023  
• 14,500 students — fall semester 2022  
• 15,413 students — fall semester 2021  
• 15,331 students — fall semester 2020  
• 15,630 students — fall semester 2019 

Other Ohio universities also offer free tuition to qualifying students. 

The University of Akron offers free tuition for new, transfer and continuing students whose family income is $85,000 or less and are residents of Summit, Stark, Medina, Portage, Cuyahoga or Wayne counties.

Shawnee State University’s Free Tuition Guarantee covers full tuition for first-time, full-time freshman who qualify for a Pell Grant and live in Scioto, Lawrence, Adams, Pike, Jackson, Ross, Gallia, Brown, Highland, and Vinton counties, or Greenup, Boyd or Lewis Counties in Kentucky.  

Columbus State Community College students can finish their bachelor’s degree at Ohio State University tuition-free starting this semester through a new initiative called the Buckeye Bridge. 

It’s good universities are looking at the affordability issue, said Jennifer Tisone Price, executive director of the Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors. 

“We believe that college needs to be affordable and accessible to all,” Price said. “But the next question is, how are they paying for this? And that follow-up issue is making sure that they’re not doing so on the backs of faculty.” 

About 1.78 million student borrowers live in Ohio and the average student loan debt is $35,072, according to the Education Data Initiative.

Nearly half of Ohio’s borrowers are younger than 35 and 15% of Ohio residents have student loan debt, according to the data. About a fifth of Ohio borrowers owe between $20,000 to $40,000, according to the data.

Follow Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on X or on Bluesky.