The Ripon Commitment

The Ripon Commitment offers two pathways based on your financial status. 

Free Tuition if household AGI is $75,000 or less

• Students must be Wisconsin residents
• Incoming first year students and transfer students
• Household Adjusted Gross Income of $75,000 or less
• Must file a FAFSA
• Must live on campus

The Ripon Commitment is a commitment to Wisconsin resident students.  The program guarantees scholarships and grants to pay for tuition & fees for students whose household adjusted gross income (AGI) is $75,000 or less. Incoming first-year students will receive eight (8) consecutive semesters (4 years) of free tuition and fees and new transfer students will receive four (4) semesters (2 years) of free tuition and fees.

UW-Madison Match 

• Students must be Wisconsin residents
• After all aid has been applied, Ripon College tuition and fees will not be greater than UW Madison tuition and fees or $11,606 for 2025
• Incoming first year students and transfer students
• Must file a FAFSA
• Must live on campus

Who is eligible?
New incoming Wisconsin resident students who intend to enroll in Ripon College’s undergraduate program, whether first-year or transfer.

Who is not eligible for The Ripon Commitment? 
Non-Wisconsin Residents are not eligible for The Ripon Commitment. Ripon College students that are currently enrolled or were enrolled in the past as well as graduate students are not eligible.

Does Ripon College offer online courses for their undergraduate degree?
Currently, all courses for the undergraduate programs are offered in person, on campus and not online.

What is the legal requirement for in-state tuition?
Students must be a resident of Wisconsin for two years prior to enrollment. 

How many credits per semester do students need to take? 
To be eligible for the program students need to take 12-20 credits per semester.

Does The Ripon Commitment apply to graduate programs?
No.  The Ripon Commitment is only for students earning their first bachelor’s degree.

Are students required to live on campus? 
Yes, students are required to live on campus all 4 years. 

Does The Ripon Commitment cover my room and board/housing and food?
No, it covers tuition and fees. It does not cover housing and food. 

Are there any additional costs for the student?
The Ripon Commitment covers tuition and activity fees only. All other costs associated with attending are the student’s responsibility (not limited to but will include: housing, food, parking, etc.)

What fees are covered by the Ripon Commitment?
The activity fee of $350 for on campus study is covered by the Ripon Commitment.

Does a student working on a second bachelor’s degree qualify for The Ripon Commitment?
No.  This program is only for students enrolled in their first bachelor’s degree.

Does The Ripon Commitment apply to off campus study?
The Ripon Commitment is available to assist in paying Study Abroad tuition expenses for the spring Barcelona experience, note, additional fees are required. However, for other study abroad experiences, see the Office of Financial Aid. Students should still submit their FAFSA as other financing options may be available. 

Do students need to apply? Or is there additional paperwork?
No. The Ripon Commitment is automatically awarded to eligible students who have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).  No separate application is necessary and the Office of Financial Aid will notify eligible students. 

Does a student need to file the FAFSA every year?
Yes.  All students eligible for The Ripon Commitment are required to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and are required to do so on an annual basis.

How do I file my FAFSA?
Students should visit  https://studentaid.gov/

Can a student apply for loans to cover the costs of housing, food and fees?
Activity fees are covered in The Ripon Commitment. Both Federal and/or private loans can be applied for to cover housing and food. 

How and when do I confirm my enrollment in The Ripon Commitment?
Once students have been admitted to Ripon College and have filed the FAFSA.

Are current Ripon College students eligible for The Ripon Commitment?
No.

What if a student’s residency status changes?
Only those students who have shown Wisconsin residence at the time of admission to Ripon College will be considered for The Ripon Commitment.

If a student loses a scholarship or Pell Grant eligibility, does their tuition remain?
All institutional aid offered through The Ripon Commitment is guaranteed all four years. Federal and/or state aid may change based on the annual filing of the FAFSA.

What if a student doesn’t attend full-time?
Only undergraduate students enrolled full-time are eligible for The Ripon Commitment.

Can a student receive funding from the Ripon Commitment coursework taken at another school?
Although The Ripon Commitment is not available to assist in paying for coursework taken at another school, students should still submit their FAFSA® as other financing options may be available. We strongly encourage students who are considering taking coursework at another school to meet with the Office of Financial Aid to consider all of their options.

Does Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) impact a student’s  eligibility?
Yes. If a student does not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements, the student will either need an approved appeal or must meet the SAP requirements before any financial aid is received for subsequent terms – including financial aid provided through The Ripon Commitment.

Will students be given any support services in addition to funding to keep them on track to graduate?
The success of our students is extremely important to us. Students who receive The Ripon Commitment are encouraged to take advantage of existing resources.

 What if a student needs more time to finish their degree?
Incoming first-year students are eligible to receive a total institutional aid amount ($41,644) for eight (8) consecutive semesters (4 years). New transfer students are eligible for four (4) consecutive semesters (2 years).

See Ripon’s four year graduation guarantee 

What happens if a student takes a year off?
If a student takes a year off they are no longer eligible for The Ripon Commitment.  Students must have continuous enrollment all four years for first year and two years for transfer.

Who is eligible?
New incoming Wisconsin resident students who intend to enroll in Ripon College’s undergraduate program, whether first-year or transfer, whose household AGI is $75,000 or less.  

How is the household Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) defined?
Household AGI is a combination of a student’s AGI plus their parent(s)’ AGI as reflected both on the federal income tax return and on the FAFSA.

How long can a student participate in this program?
Incoming first-year students are eligible to receive eight (8) consecutive semesters (4 years) of tuition and fees.  New transfer students are eligible for four (4) consecutive semesters (2 years).

What if a student’s household AGI is over $75,000?
Students are strongly encouraged to submit the FAFSA. Our office also provides a Net Price Calculator to help estimate a student’s financial aid offer. For those students whose household AGI is higher than $75,000, we offer a tuition match to UW-Madison. File the FAFSA to see what additional aid you may be eligible to receive.

What if a student’s household AGI was initially $75,000 or less, but in a future year is expected to be higher?
Any increases to the household AGI that occur in subsequent tax years will not impact a student’s eligibility for this program, if the eligible student enrolled their first year.

What if a student’s household AGI was not initially $75,000 or less, but is expected to drop in the future tax year?
Only incoming students will be considered for free tuition under this program.  However, decreases to a student’s household AGI may help the student be eligible for additional financial aid outside of the program.

What grants/scholarships will a student receive?
Structured as a last-dollar award, The Ripon Commitment will supplement the gap between any scholarships or grants, including federal and/or state aid, offered and the full cost of tuition & fees.  If a student receives other scholarships or grants from any other source, these awards would be applied towards the costs of housing, food and fees. Any additional amount would be applied towards the full cost of tuition & fees, thus decreasing the Ripon funding.

This also means that although a student is eligible to receive The Ripon Commitment, they may not have The Ripon Commitment included as part of their financial aid offer due to the amount of other funding in excess of tuition and fees.

Will students be given any support services in addition to funding to keep them on track to graduate?
The success of our students is extremely important to us. Students who receive free tuition through this program are encouraged to take advantage of existing resources.

What is the eligibility requirement for independent students?
Independent students with a household AGI of $31,000 or less are eligible for free tuition under this program.

What is the UW Madison tuition match under The Ripon Commitment?
The University of Madison match is a commitment to new incoming Wisconsin resident students. This guarantees a total institutional aid amount of $41,644, leaving a remaining tuition & fee amount of $11,606 – UW Madison’s stated 2024 tuition and fees (Ripon College tuition and fee increases may apply in subsequent years).

Who is eligible?
New incoming Wisconsin resident students who intend to enroll in Ripon College’s undergraduate program, whether first-year or transfer with a household AGI higher than $75,000.

How long can a student participate in this program?
Incoming first-year students are eligible to receive a total institutional aid amount ($41,644) for eight (8) consecutive semesters (4 years). New transfer students are eligible for four (4) consecutive semesters (2 years).