University of Akron raises income threshold to qualify for full tuition scholarship

More students will be able to receive a full scholarship to the University of Akron with the expansion of a program designed to entice Northeast Ohio students to choose Akron.

Full-time undergraduate students whose family's annual adjusted gross income is $85,000 or less, and who live in a six-county region in Northeast Ohio, will not have to pay any tuition to the university moving forward.

The Making Akron Possible (MAP) Grant will cover whatever is left over after those students receive any federal aid or other scholarships. That could be a few hundred dollars or thousands, depending on how much aid students receive before the MAP grant kicks in.

Akron previously covered any tuition remaining for students whose adjusted gross income was $50,000 or less. Adjusted gross income is taxable income before allowances for personal exemptions and itemized deductions.

The eligible counties are Summit, Stark, Medina, Portage, Cuyahoga and Wayne. The grant applies to eligible new and transfer students coming from those counties. Students must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and accept all federal, state or institutional scholarships and grants offered to them.

The scholarship covers tuition and general fees, "further demonstrating UA's unparalleled commitment to making higher education achievable for all," a release issued Thursday said.

"We are confident that few, if any, other programs in the state match this level of assistance, making The University of Akron the best choice for local students looking to further their education affordably," Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Steve McKellips said in the statement. "Our goal is to make higher education accessible and affordable for every student in our community. By expanding the MAP Grant to cover families with a higher income, we're helping more students than ever achieve their educational aspirations."

This story will be updated.

Contact education reporter Jennifer Pignolet at jpignolet@thebeaconjournal.com, at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: University of Akron raises income threshold to qualify for full tuition scholarship