• ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Tuition Promise and Big Blue Pledge Header Image V2
  • ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Tuition Promise

  • Reduced Tuition Rate of $26,000 for All Full-Time Traditional Undergraduate Students

    Effective Fall 2024 

  • At ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ University, we are committed to delivering on the promise of education, and our ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Tuition Promise allows us to fulfill that promise better than ever before! This new affordability initiative makes our base tuition comparable to that of public universities and allows us to expand Performance Learning, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s distinct brand of education, to a broader audience of students.

    What’s more, our Big Blue Pledge: Illinois Free Tuition Program can help reduce the cost even further for certain students. Read on to learn more about how ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s dedication to an accessible education can benefit you!

    • A base tuition rate of $26,000 for all full-time traditional undergraduate students
    • A 36% reduction from ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s former tuition price
    • Additional reduction in tuition beyond the base rate, through personalized scholarship and financial aid packages
    • Base tuition increases of $1,000 in subsequent years:
    • Year 1: $26,000
    • Year 2: $27,000
    • Year 3: $28,000
    • Year 4: $29,000

    *Students requiring more than four years of study can expect a $1,000 increase in each following year.

    These baseline rates will be reduced further through personalized scholarship and financial aid packages available to every admitted ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ student. Read our frequently asked questions to learn more.

    • To show students that ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s distinctive Performance Learning education is within their reach!
    • To bring our stated tuition pricing in line with what students typically pay before scholarships and other financial aid
    • To engage with students earlier in the application cycle
    • To replace misconceptions about affordability with clear, concise information
    • An investment in Illinois students who may lack the financial options necessary to pursue a college education
    • Covers 100% of students’ remaining undergraduate education with ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ grants and scholarships during their first year at the University (after federal and state grants are applied)
    • Subject to a tuition increase of $1,000 per year after the first year

    Learn More

  • ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔUniversity

    is committed to making sure that every student has access to a private school education at an affordable cost. That commitment begins by guaranteeing a reduced tuition rate for ALL traditional undergraduate students β€” and providing upfront, transparent pricing for each of their four years of study.

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  • Blue Shilling Hall

    Promise of Transparency: Guaranteed tuition rates for all four years

    Unlike most universities, we are providing simple, straightforward pricing that guarantees the annual tuition rate for each year a student is at the Big Blue. This upfront, annual promise removes financial uncertainty from their college journey and allows them to focus on their success instead.

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    Promise of Affordability: Commitment to providing access to a private school education at an affordable cost

    Our promise includes making a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ education accessible β€” and affordable β€” for more students by removing barriers as they pursue their education. Our reduced tuition rate is just the start of this increased affordability β€” every admitted student at ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ receives a Merit Scholarship along with the opportunity for additional scholarships and aid. We work one-on-one with students to provide competitive aid packages that are tailored to fit their individual needs.

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    Promise of Education: Delivering on the promise of excellence in education

    The value that ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ secures for each of its students isn’t just financial. Students thrive on our campus through our distinctive brand of Performance Learning. To truly stand out to employers, you need hands-on, real-world experiences that allow you to do the work of your future career – before graduation. Performance Learning is why 99% of our graduates are employed or continuing their education within six months of graduation (compared to the 71% national average).

  • All traditional full-time undergraduate students will receive the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Tuition Promise rate. Students who are enrolled in graduate programs or part-time programming have different tuition rates. View all tuition costs and fees at millikin.edu/cost-aid. 

  • We know that students and families often make decisions based on published tuition price, which is not always reflective of what they will actually pay. We want to ensure students are considering ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ University when deciding where to invest in their future. As part of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s Strategic Plan, the University has prioritized the use of data-driven decisions to deliver on the promise of excellence in education. What the data shows is that an institution’s published tuition price, which is typically significantly higher than what students pay, often results in students and families ruling out institutions before they get the full picture of the financial aid they will receive.    

    Without a thorough understanding of the scholarships and aid packages that ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ students receive, families perceive ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ to be out of reach. Once students apply to ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ, they discover that our competitive, personalized financial aid packages significantly reduce the actual amount they pay for a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ education β€” but students who choose not to apply based on the published tuition price never realize the true out-of-pocket costs to attend that could be within reach. This change in our pricing model provides transparency that we hope will empower students to make more informed decisions about the education they can afford. This tuition reduction will better reflect what our students, on average, actually pay to attend.  
     

  • ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s reduced tuition price of $26,000 will be effective beginning in the Fall term of the 2024-25 academic year.

  • ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ awards millions of dollars in scholarships each year and that will not change. Every student admitted to ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ will receive an initial Merit Scholarship based on their academic performance, ranging from $6,000 to $10,000. ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ will then work with each student to prepare a competitive, personalized financial aid package based on each student’s financial need and talent.  

  • There is no need to delay. Our tuition reduction is simply resetting our published tuition rate. The out-of-pocket costs for each student will still be determined individually. You should apply for the term you want to attend, and we’ll do the rest to help make it affordable.  

  • ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ has always been committed to making sure that every student has access to a private education at an affordable cost. Our reduced tuition rate provides transparency in pricing to empower students and families to make more informed decisions during the college selection process with simple, straightforward pricing. See how we compare to other universities here.

  • This initiative is an expansion of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s highly successful Macon Promise program, which was announced in October 2020 and provided a reduced tuition rate of $26,000 for those students who live or attend school in Macon County. The upfront tuition reduction with the Macon Promise helped us communicate a more accurate picture of the actual cost of a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ education. As the program progressed, the data not only showed the success of Macon Promise but suggested possibilities for its expansion. 

  • Scholarships and Financial Aid

  • Yes. ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ continues to offer competitive scholarship opportunities with awards up to full tuition that recognize talents in the arts, a commitment to diversity, scientific excellence, and more. In addition, we continue to work one-on-one with our students, providing competitive aid packages that are tailored to fit their individual financial needs.  

  • No. Federal and state grants are awarded based on results from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students will still need to complete the FAFSA to determine eligibility for these sources of gift assistance. Most private/outside scholarship awards are based on merit, financial need and/or a student’s talents in the arts, commitment to diversity, scientific excellence, and more β€” not the published tuition cost of an institution. 

  • ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ students will still have access to Federal student loans if they complete a FAFSA and choose to borrow to help fund their educational costs. We also have a thriving on-campus work-study program for students to help pay for educational expenses and/or earn spending money by working conveniently on campus while taking classes. 

  • New/Prospective Students: Contact the Office of Admission at admission@millikin.edu or 217.424.6210.  

    Current/Returning Student: Please contact Student Financial Services at studentfinancialservices@millikin.edu or 217.424.6317. 

  • Current Students and Families

  • ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ has undertaken this change to better fulfill our mission. As part of our commitment to β€œThe ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Difference,” we have pledged to expand access to ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s distinct brand of education, Performance Learning.β€―This tuition reduction helps us fulfill that pledge β€” more students will have the opportunity to experience the hands-on, real-world Performance Learning opportunities unique to ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ.

  • The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ University undergraduate published tuition rate beginning with the Fall 2024 term will be the same forβ€―allβ€―full-time students. The actual out-of-pocket cost will continue to vary from student to student based on the individual financial aid received from Federal, State, outside, and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ resources. Further, the annual, full-time undergraduate tuition rate will increase by no more than $1,000 per year in future years.

  • With our generous financial aid packages, individual students at ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ are likely paying less than the new $26,000 tuition rate. Current ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ students can expect a zero percent increase in net tuition (tuition less federal, state, and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ scholarships and grants) for the 2024-25 academic year. Each student’s financial aid package will be evaluated under the new, reduced tuition rate. As always, if you are having trouble affording your out-of-pocket costs, please reach out to our Student Financial Services staff to discuss your situation. The good news is β€” current students will not see an increase in tuition for the 2024-2025 academic year!  

  • As you may or may not know, the Federal government is changing the FAFSA form for the coming academic year. The Department of Education is simplifying the form and thus it will not be available in October as it has been in the past. Watch your email for information on the release of the 2024-25 FAFSA application, which is expected to be in late December 2023. We encourage students to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible to remain eligible for all financial assistance programs. ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ will begin to send full financial aid awards to continuing students once we receive completed student FAFSA information in early 2024.  

  • Big Blue Pledge: Illinois Free Tuition Program

  • ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is committed to keeping Illinois students in Illinois to attend college. In support of that effort to keep students β€œat home,” we have developed the Big Blue Pledge: Illinois Free Tuition Program to provide access to Illinois students who need additional financial support to attend college. The program, through a combination of state, federal and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ resources, covers 100% of a qualified student’s undergraduate tuition in their first year at ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ. Students will be subject to the yearly $1,000 increase in tuition thereafter. 

  • To qualify for the Big Blue Pledge, students must be newly enrolling for the 2024-25 academic year and: 

    • submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by May 1; 
    • be an Illinois resident (as determined by the FAFSA); 
    • be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant; and  
    • be enrolled full-time (minimum of at least 12 credit hours per semester) as a traditional undergraduate student at ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ. 

    The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ provided scholarship and grants can be renewed for up to four consecutive years for students who continue to meet the eligibility criteria and make satisfactory academic progress toward their degree.