WALLA WALLA — Whitman College announced on June 21, 2026, that tuition will not exceed 10 percent of a family's annual adjusted gross income. The college, located in Walla Walla, Washington, uses a family's adjusted gross income from the student's FAFSA to calculate tuition under this new policy.

For students whose families earn $100,000 or less, scholarships will cover the full cost of tuition. The 10 percent tuition cap applies for up to four years of college at Whitman.

Adam Miller, Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid, stated that the current financial aid system can be confusing for families. "The current financial aid system is a hassle for families. It can be really confusing and opaque, and many families feel left out," Miller said. He added that understanding college costs should not take months or create additional stress, and the college is committed to making engagement with financial aid simpler. "Understanding the cost of college should not take months or create additional stress, and we are committed to doing everything we can to make it simpler and easier for students and families to engage with financial aid from the first moment they encounter Whitman," Miller said.

Tuition for the 2026–27 academic year is $68,692. As an example, a student whose family earns $150,000 annually will pay no more than $15,000 in tuition under the new policy. The total cost of attendance for such a family, including food, housing, and books, would be $32,928 per year.

Federal grants and merit-based scholarships contribute to the scholarship that fulfills the 10 percent promise. Students may apply federal loans and work-study awards to additional costs such as housing and food. If a student receives enough merit-based or talent scholarships to exceed the 10 percent tuition scholarship, they will pay a lower tuition fee.

Students must recertify their income via the FAFSA each year, and tuition adjusts if earnings change. The CSS Profile aid qualification form is not required to participate in the 10 percent program. However, families with high medical expenses or multiple students in college may qualify for more need-based financial aid than the 10 percent figure yields by submitting the optional CSS Profile. Whitman awards up to $35,000 in merit aid per year.

Miller noted the college's intention to provide clarity. "We don't want to have caveats or lots of things that could be an out clause," he said. "We want to be crystal clear about what people could expect to pay, because that is what was missing."