U Of A To Launch Full-Tuition, 4-Year Pell Grants

TUCSON, AZ – The University of Arizona announced Thursday that it is launching access to the Pell Pledge Grant for eligible freshmen starting their studies at the university in fall 2020. The Pell grants will cover freshmen full tuition for four years if the freshmen attend the U of A’s main campus, among other requirements.

“Student success is the most important way the University of Arizona serves our state, and it is crucial that all students who wish to pursue their higher education goals at Arizona have the support needed to make that happen,” wrote Robert C. Robbins, U of A president. “[The Pell grant] is a vital part of that commitment.”

To be eligible for a Pell Pledge Grant, students must:

• Hold Arizona residency
• Apply to the U of A and file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid by March 1
• Be a first-time, domestic freshman
• Qualify for Federal Pell Grants
• Attend the Tucson main U of A campus

“I came to the University of Arizona as a first-generation student from a small Arizona town, so I personally understand the impact that recruiting, enrolling and supporting Arizona’s diverse and high-potential students can have,” said Kasey Urquidez, U of A dean of undergraduate admissions and VP of enrollment management.

Launching the Pell grant is the university’s way to help offset Arizona’s statewide tuition assistance needs faced by low-income students and families, “who experience poverty at higher rates than the national average,” according to a U of A statement.

Last year, about one-third of U of A students were Pell-grant eligible, and almost 90 percent of students at the U of A received financial aid, the university reported.