Keeping its promise: EMU expands tuition-free initiative to even more students

EMU Promise Grant increases access for families earning below $75K

After a full day of classes at EMU, Kevin Garcia clocks in at 5 p.m. for his eight-hour shift at George’s Inc., a poultry plant in Harrisonburg. By the time he gets home, it’s 1:30 a.m. and he’s eager to get some much-needed sleep. In less than seven hours, he’ll be back on campus bright and early for his 8 a.m. class.

The hardworking, indefatigable first-year student emigrated from Cuba three years ago to join his family in Harrisonburg. He graduated from EMU’s renowned Intensive English Program (IEP) this spring. When he learned he could transfer 15 credits from his IEP classes to his college degree and that he would receive the EMU Promise Grant, which fully covers the tuition costs for eligible students, he knew his future belonged at EMU.

The biology and Spanish double major, whose full-time job helps support his family with their expenses, said his parents both graduated from college in Cuba. “They had an expectation that I needed to go to college, as well,” said Garcia, who is interested in the emerging and rapidly expanding field of epigenetics. “Without the Promise Grant, that wouldn’t be possible.”

Garcia is one of 76 first- and second-year students at EMU who have access to an exceptional, tuition-free college education thanks to the EMU Promise Grant. The initiative is open to Virginia residents whose adjusted gross family incomes are below $75,000. It is for first-time, full-time undergraduate students. See checklist below for more eligibility criteria. 

Checklist: Who is eligible? You meet the basic criteria for EMU Promise Grant eligibility if: ☐You file the FAFSA (include EMU), and we receive a FAFSA report with a valid Student Aid Index (SAI) as determined by Federal Student Aid. ☐You are a first-time, full-time (12 to 18 credit hours per semester) undergraduate student admitted to a degree-seeking program. Those pursuing second degrees are not eligible. ☐Your family’s 2024 federal income tax returns reflects an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $75,000 or less. Visit FAFSA Parent for information about how FAFSA defines family. ☐You are a resident of Virginia who is eligible for VTAG, and you complete the VTAG application prior to the Sept. 15 deadline.  Students who maintain eligibility can receive the EMU Promise Grant for all four years. For more details about eligibility and a sample of frequently asked questions, visit emu.edu/promise-grant.

The EMU Promise Grant covers 100 percent of all remaining tuition costs after state, federal, and institutional grants or scholarships have been awarded. It does not cover any fees or living expenses.

Now in its second year, the tuition-free initiative continues to tackle systemic barriers by offering more financial aid, in alignment with EMU’s 2023-28 strategic plan, Pathways of Promise: Preparing Tomorrow’s Unifying Leaders.

Troy Martin, director of financial aid for EMU, said that raising the income threshold for Promise Grant eligibility (it was previously set at $65,000) ensures that a college education at EMU is accessible to more students in Virginia than ever before. “We don’t want money to stand in the way of a student choosing to attend EMU,” he said. 

“We have lots of prospective students who show promise, and our promise is to help them fulfill their promise,” Martin added. “We offer a transformative education for these students and allow them to achieve their educational goals and dreams in a setting that will support them every step of the way.”

While there is no deadline to apply for the EMU Promise Grant, the deadline for submitting a VTAG application is Sept. 15, 2026.

For more information about the EMU Promise Grant, visit emu.edu/promise-grant.

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Let Braydon Hoover, vice president of enrollment & marketing, walk you through the EMU Promise Grant in the video below.