After a full day of classes at EMU, Kevin Garcia clocks in at 5 p.m. for his eight-hour shift at George’s Inc., a poultry plant in Harrisonburg. By the time he gets home, it’s 1:30 a.m. and he’s eager to get some much-needed sleep. In less than seven hours, he’ll be back on campus bright and early for his 8 a.m. class.

The hardworking, indefatigable first-year student emigrated from Cuba three years ago to join his family in Harrisonburg. He graduated from EMU’s renowned Intensive English Program (IEP) this spring. When he learned he could transfer 15 credits from his IEP classes to his college degree and that he would receive the EMU Promise Grant, which fully covers the tuition costs for eligible students, he knew his future belonged at EMU.

The biology and Spanish double major, whose full-time job helps support his family with their expenses, said his parents both graduated from college in Cuba. “They had an expectation that I needed to go to college, as well,” said Garcia, who is interested in the emerging and rapidly expanding field of epigenetics. “Without the Promise Grant, that wouldn’t be possible.”

Garcia is one of 76 first- and second-year students at EMU who have access to an exceptional, tuition-free college education thanks to the EMU Promise Grant. The initiative is open to Virginia residents whose adjusted gross family incomes are below $75,000. It is for first-time, full-time undergraduate students. See checklist below for more eligibility criteria.Ěý

The EMU Promise Grant covers 100 percent of all remaining tuition costs after state, federal, and institutional grants or scholarships have been awarded. It does not cover any fees or living expenses.

Now in its second year, the tuition-free initiative continues to tackle systemic barriers by offering more financial aid, in alignment with EMU’s 2023-28 strategic plan, Pathways of Promise: Preparing Tomorrow’s Unifying Leaders.

Troy Martin, director of financial aid for EMU, said that raising the income threshold for Promise Grant eligibility (it was previously set at $65,000) ensures that a college education at EMU is accessible to more students in Virginia than ever before. “We don’t want money to stand in the way of a student choosing to attend EMU,” he said. 

“We have lots of prospective students who show promise, and our promise is to help them fulfill their promise,” Martin added. “We offer a transformative education for these students and allow them to achieve their educational goals and dreams in a setting that will support them every step of the way.”

While there is no deadline to apply for the EMU Promise Grant, the deadline for submitting a VTAG application is Sept. 15, 2026.

For more information about the EMU Promise Grant, visit .

Let Braydon Hoover, vice president of enrollment & marketing, walk you through the EMU Promise Grant in the video below.

Note (October 2025): The adjusted gross family income threshold for eligibility to receive the Promise Grant has increased to below $75,000.

With just about everything rising in price these days, EMU is ensuring that a quality college education is within reach of more students than ever before, thanks to its new Promise Grant initiative. 

The EMU Promise Grant, which takes effect during the fall 2024 semester, fully covers the tuition costs for Virginia residents whose adjusted gross family incomes are under $65,000. It is for first-time, full-time undergraduate students. For more details about EMU Promise Grant eligibility, and a sample of frequently asked questions, visit emu.edu/promise-grant. 

Mary Jensen, vice president of enrollment and strategic growth, first unveiled the EMU Promise Grant to the public at Saturday’s Admitted Student Day. She said the new initiative is one way EMU is embodying its vision of opening new pathways of access and achievement, a vision outlined in the university’s 2023-2028 strategic plan, Pathways of Promise: Preparing Tomorrow’s Unifying Leaders.

“It’s part of our recognition of the rising costs that are real,” she said. “We want to make sure the most vulnerable, the most marginalized, those who have the least access, aren’t as impacted by the fact that everything costs more.”

Not only does the EMU Promise Grant create access to education, but it also shows college-bound students that an EMU education is more affordable than they may have thought. After all, the average net cost for an EMU student in 2022-2023 was just $15,309.  

“A lot of students assume a private college is not affordable, so they don’t consider it… they don’t even entertain the possibility,” Jensen said. “We hope this grant will encourage people to consider a private college and put EMU on their list of possibilities.”

In comparison to schools that offer a similar type of promise grant, EMU’s is among the most generous and with the fewest restrictions. EMU’s income threshold for promise grant eligibility is significantly higher, and more accepting, than comparable ODAC member schools. Other schools require that promise grant students pay room and board costs to live on campus. Under the EMU Promise Grant, students can choose to live at home within 30 miles of the Harrisonburg, Virginia, campus and still receive the award. And, there is no minimum high school GPA requirement to receive the EMU Promise Grant, unlike some other schools’ programs.

One of the best parts about the EMU Promise Grant is that students don’t even need to apply for it. If they qualify, they will automatically receive their tuition paid for (after state, federal, and institutional grants or scholarships have been awarded).

February coincides with Financial Aid Awareness Month, a time when many in the higher education community provide crucial information to students and families about access to federal, state and institutional aid. Now that the word is officially out about the EMU Promise Grant, Jensen said undergraduate admissions counselors are eager to let students know about the new program.

“They’re very excited to tell students they’re working with, ‘If your family is eligible for this grant, we have some really good news for you,’” she said.