Cleveland State University on Friday announced a new tuition award for certain Ohio residents, calling it the Cleveland State Commitment. The program is not open to all students and does not begin until fall 2027.
To qualify, a student must finish high school in Ohio in spring 2027 with a 3.0 grade point average or higher. The student must also be a first-time college enrollee for fall 2027 and have a family adjusted gross income no greater than $125,000.
Applicants must complete federal financial aid paperwork. Cleveland State says its award is applied after state, federal and other scholarship money. The commitment covers tuition only, not books, housing or other living expenses. Students may use it for up to eight consecutive semesters if they keep a 2.0 GPA, take a full-time course load, meet aid requirements and remain below the income ceiling. Full-time in-state tuition at Cleveland State this fall was about $6,828 per semester.
University officials have not yet responded to Signal Statewide questions about how the initiative will be funded or what its early years might cost. Cleveland State set a higher family income limit than several other Ohio programs, including Akron's Making Akron Possible, Cincinnati's Bearcats Affordability and Ohio State's Regional Campus Commitment, according to the release. Officials said they want to reach families earning $75,000 to $125,000 who often receive little federal or state grant aid but still face affordability gaps.
The announcement comes as full-time first-time enrollment at Cleveland State has declined. The university reported about 1,830 such students in 2021 and 1,166 this year, a 36% drop. Total enrollment this fall was 12,442.