BOSTON, MASS. — Families considering a move to Massachusetts for its educational opportunities have another major development to put on their radar. Boston University is expanding financial aid through its BU Promise, significantly reducing the cost of attending one of Boston’s best-known universities for qualifying families beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year.
Under the program, admitted first-year students from households earning under $200,000 annually with typical assetscan expect financial aid covering at least full tuition, along with a portion of housing and dining costs. Boston University says the expected parent contribution for these families will be no more than $20,000.
For families earning $75,000 or less, the benefit is considerably larger: BU says qualifying students will receive grants and scholarships covering full tuition plus the standard housing and dining plan, resulting in a listed net cost of attendance of $0under the university's sample calculation.
What the BU Promise Covers
The new financial aid structure applies to domestic first-year students who have not previously attended college and meet BU's financial-aid eligibility requirements.
Boston University's published estimates break down assistance by household income:
Total Household Income | Minimum Scholarship & Grant Aid | Estimated Net Cost* |
$0–$75,000 | Full tuition + standard housing and dining | $0 |
$75,001–$100,000 | Full tuition + additional assistance | $10,000 or less |
$100,001–$150,000 | Full tuition + additional assistance | $15,000 or less |
$150,001–$200,000 | Full tuition + additional assistance | $20,000 or less |
$200,000+ | Tailored financial aid | Based on circumstances |
BU says these figures illustrate sample costs for admitted first-year students beginning in 2026–2027 and assume typical assets. Individual financial-aid awards can vary.
Another important change is that BU says it will meet 100% of demonstrated financial need without loans in financial-aid packages for eligible domestic first-year students. Students and families can still choose to borrow, but loans will not be included as part of BU's initial financial-aid award.
A Significant Benefit When BU Tuition Tops $73,000
The scale of the BU Promise becomes clearer when looking at the university's current cost.
For the 2026–2027 academic year, Boston University lists undergraduate tuition at $73,024. For a resident undergraduate, estimated total cost of attendance—including tuition, fees, housing, food, books and personal expenses—is approximately $98,419 per year.
That means a qualifying family earning less than $200,000 could potentially eliminate more than $73,000 in annual tuition charges before additional housing and dining assistance is considered.
For a qualifying household earning $75,000 or less, BU's published financial-aid model goes substantially further by covering tuition along with the standard housing and dining plan.
Why This Matters for Families Moving to Massachusetts
Massachusetts has long attracted families because of its concentration of universities, research institutions, hospitals, technology companies and education-related employment.
But families relocating to Greater Boston also have to consider the region's high cost of living alongside the expense of higher education.
Programs such as the BU Promise can change that calculation. A household moving to Massachusetts with college-bound children may find that attending a major private university is more financially attainable than the school's published tuition price initially suggests.
It also reinforces an important lesson for newcomers researching colleges in Massachusetts: the advertised tuition price and the amount a family ultimately pays can be dramatically different.
Families should compare financial-aid policies, grants, scholarships and net-price estimates—not simply published tuition.
Families Above $200,000 Should Still Apply for Aid
The $200,000 threshold also isn't necessarily a hard cutoff for receiving financial assistance.
Boston University says households earning more than $200,000 can receive a financial-aid package tailored to their circumstances. The university calculates demonstrated financial need using information supplied through the financial-aid application process, including household income and assets.
That means families shouldn't automatically assume they will receive no assistance simply because their income exceeds $200,000.
Massachusetts Continues to Compete for Students and Families
For families researching where to study in Massachusetts, Boston University's expanded financial-aid commitment adds another consideration to the state's already extensive higher-education landscape.
A program that potentially provides full tuition to households earning under $200,000—and tuition, standard housing and dining to qualifying families earning $75,000 or less—could make a Boston education accessible to families who previously assumed the cost was out of reach.
Prospective students should review Boston University's official eligibility requirements carefully and complete all required financial-aid applications by the applicable deadlines. BU notes that students must submit complete applications and satisfy eligibility requirements to receive need-based financial assistance.
For families planning a move to Massachusetts, college affordability may increasingly become another reason to look beyond the sticker price when deciding where to live, study and build a future in the Commonwealth.