Whitman College Introduces the 10% Promise: Personalized, Predictable Tuition

For many students and families, one of the most challenging parts of the college search process is understanding what college will actually cost. Whitman College has launched a first-of-its-kind financial commitment designed to take the guesswork out of paying for college.

The Whitman 10% Promise guarantees that students will never pay more than 10% of their family’s income for tuition.

Simplifying Financial Aid

The financial aid process has long been a source of stress and confusion for families. Understanding what tuition will actually cost can take months of paperwork, and even then the numbers aren’t always clear.

“The current financial aid system is a hassle for families. It can be really confusing and opaque, and many families feel left out,” says Adam Miller, Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid. “Understanding the cost of college should not take months or create additional stress, and we are committed to doing everything we can to make it simpler and easier for students and families to engage with financial aid from the first moment they encounter Whitman.”

How the 10% Promise Works

The 10% Promise is built on simplicity and transparency. Unlike traditional financial aid formulas, which rely on many different variables and can take considerable time to complete, the 10% Promise is based solely on a family’s adjusted gross income as reported on the FAFSA. This straightforward evaluation process applies to students of every economic background, with no income limits and no complicated tiers of tuition ranges.

“Higher education is one of the few industries where families often don’t know the true price until deep into the process,” says Kelly Harrington, Director of College Counseling and Student Services at UPrep Middle and High School in Seattle, Washington. “A straightforward 10%-of-income commitment is a powerful statement that affordability should be understandable, not mysterious.”

Even before a student applies, Whitman’s online calculator gives them a clear picture of their maximum tuition cost. Families can see personalized numbers early in the college search process, making it easier to plan ahead with confidence.

“At Whitman, we believe students should be able to focus on finding the college that will be the best fit for them without the obstacle of financial uncertainty,” says Miller. “By providing families with clear, up-front tuition and financial aid information, we hope to make it easier for students to imagine themselves here, pursue the opportunities that will help them thrive and move forward with confidence when applying to Whitman.” 

A Commitment to Transparency & Accessibility

The 10% Promise doesn’t come out of nowhere. Whitman has spent nearly a decade working to make financial aid more transparent and accessible, beginning with one of the country’s only pre-application financial aid guarantees and building toward a commitment to meet the full demonstrated need of every incoming student. The 10% Promise is the next step in that ongoing effort.

“It is impressive that a great liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington, is innovating more boldly than many institutions located in the traditional centers of higher education,” says Harrington. “Whitman’s 10% Promise has the potential to be transformative within the higher education ecosystem. Washington state has a history of exporting world-changing ideas and companies, from Starbucks to Boeing to Costco. My hope is that the Whitman Promise becomes the next great Washington export.”