Without a full ride scholarship, Destiney Samare said she wouldn’t have been able to attend the University of Chicago.
“I was definitely concerned about the cost of attendance, going to college,” Samare said. “I was looking mostly at state schools, because I was worried about this out of state cost for tuition.”
Samare is a second year student at UChicago, as part of the Odessey scholarship program. She qualified for the program because her family makes less than $125,000 annually.
Now, more prospective students will get the same assistance as Samare.
Beginning in Fall of 2027, students can attend UChicago with free tuition, room and board, and a meal plan if their family makes less than $125,000 yearly. Students with a family making less than $250,000 qualify for free tuition only.
“I qualify for free room and board, food, and tuition, and it’s been a lifechanging experience,” Samare said. “Because otherwise I would not be able to afford college.”
For 2025-2026, tuition at UChicago cost $71,325. If students needed room and board, they had to pay nearly $21,000 more.
“The average college tuition is getting more and more expensive, so I think it’s really important universities are taking steps to make that experience more affordable,” said Aaron Horowitz, a first year student.
Samare said she is forever grateful for the scholarship that brought her to UChicago, changing her trajectory in life.
“My family is low-income, and just coming to a world class institution like this is allowing me to have so much upward mobility in my life,” she said.
