UMass Boston enrolls record number of in-state freshmen

UMass Boston says more in-state freshman enrolled this fall than in at least a decade.

It’s the first year the public university is offering free tuition for Massachusetts residents from households making $75,000 or less.

The Beacon Pledge, as UMass calls it, is a financial aid program that allows qualifying students starting this year to attend with no tuition payments or mandatory fees.

“The best way to disrupt inequality is the distribution of knowledge,” Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco said in an interview with WBUR.

Out of the 2,378 freshmen entering UMass Boston this year, 84% are from Massachusetts, said university spokesman DeWayne Lehman. The 1,988 local freshman represents an 11% increase from last school year, based on the student profile report. UMass Boston reviewed enrollment data going back 12 years.

Of those in-state, freshmen, 1,014 are receiving free-tuition through the Beacon Pledge, Lehman said.

Ashley Salmeron, a freshman studying biology who grew up in Everett, said the Beacon Pledge factored heavily into her decision to attend UMass Boston. She said the initiative has helped her and her family feel relieved of financial stress.

“I think more schools should do that to help the ones that want to keep going with education,” Salmeron said.

Salmeron said she did not know about the Beacon Pledge before applying to UMass Boston and was considering other regional schools. But when she discovered that she qualified for the free tuition, she chose UMass Boston.

Suárez-Orozco said he hopes to get the word out about the initiative to more potential students.

“We are of the city and for the city,” Suárez-Orozco said. “Our DNA is profoundly shaped by our iconic city, a city that has given the world so much.”

Valeska Salazar, a freshman from Everett, said she knew about the Beacon Pledge before applying but did not “get a clear answer” on whether she qualified for the program until orientation. Ultimately, her financial aid package did not include the Beacon Pledge.

“I don’t hear people talk about it as much as I would think,” Salazar said.

Brisa Portillo, a senior from Everett, recalled getting an email about the Beacon Pledge.

“I thought, ‘Where was that when I started?’” said Portillo, who lost her Pell Grant this year. She said she thinks the Beacon Pledge, while good for new and incoming students, may make other students feel as though they missed out on that assistance.

Kaya Oleson, a junior from Wayland, said she found out about the Beacon Pledge through an advertisement at an MBTA station.

Though not a recipient of the Beacon Pledge herself, Oleson said she is “thrilled, truly” that tuition is being waived for more students. “The less barriers there are the better,” she said.

Suárez-Orozco said he is proud to welcome the largest class of in-state students, indicating that the school is “just beginning to see the beautiful echo” of the Beacon Pledge.

All four UMass campuses have implemented their own free tuition programs similar to the Beacon Pledge for students entering this fall. Community colleges in Massachusetts have been providing free tuition through the MassEducate program since fall 2024.

Some private universities have also been waiving tuition for qualifying students. MIT and Harvard began offering certain students free tuition and housing this school year. Tufts University joined the ranks most recently, announcing in September that it will start offering free tuition in fall 2026 for students from households that earn $150,000 or less.

This story is part of a partnership between WBUR and the Boston University Department of Journalism.