Purdue Grant Aims To Cover Tuition Gap Left By Financial Aid

Purdue President Mitch Daniels discussed the new Boiler Affordability Grant at a press conference in Indianapolis on Tuesday. Nov. 21. (Eric Weddle/WFYI News)

Low and middle income families can struggle to cover college tuition even after state and federal aid.

A new Purdue University grant aims to cover that gap for in-state students earning a first bachelor’s degree.

The Boiler Affordability Grant will cover tuition, fees and book expenses for undergraduates at the West Lafayette campus. Room and board would not be covered.

Purdue President Mitch Daniels says the grant will help students of families eligible for the Federal Pell Grant or who earn $70,000 or less in Adjusted Gross Income.

“The Boiler Affordability Grant program is aimed very squarely at that middle income family who now will know ahead of time that they’ll be topped up from whatever the FAFSA says and whatever their other grant or support might be,” Daniels says.

Next year around $16 million will be granted to an estimated 3,000 students under the Boiler Affordability Grant, says Ted Malone, executive director of Purdue’s Division of Financial Aid.

Eligible students could receive grants ranging from less than $2,000 to more than $13,000 based on examples provided by Purdue.

The grant does not cover individual fees associated with courses such as labs, music and the aviation program, according to the university.

Affordability has been a major focus for Daniels since becoming president of the Big Ten school in 2013 after two-terms as Indiana governor.

Undergraduate tuition is frozen at 2012 levels and will continue through the 2018-19 academic year. Base tuition is $9,992 for in-state students and $28,794 for out of state.

Purdue officials say an increase in financial aid and the hold on tuition has helped led to a drop in undergraduate borrowing by 37 percent since 2012.