What is the income limit for ASU's Obama Scholars Program?

A total annual family income of $42,400 or less on the FAFSA, plus Pell Grant eligibility, per ASU. Students must be Arizona residents starting full time in the fall right after graduating from an Arizona high school, meet ASU's admission requirements, and have the FAFSA and a complete admission application in by Jan. 15.

Is NAU free for Arizona residents?

Tuition is, for Arizona residents with a household income (Adjusted Gross Income) of $65,000 or less, through NAU's Access2Excellence program. It covers fall and spring tuition at the Flagstaff and statewide campuses but not fees, housing or books; the Arizona Promise Program can cover mandatory fees for Pell-eligible students. Members of Arizona's 22 federally recognized tribes qualify regardless of income or state.

Can you get the Arizona Promise Program and ASU's Obama Scholars Program together?

Effectively, yes. ASU says students eligible for both may see Arizona Promise funding as part of their Obama Scholars package. But students eligible for both Arizona Promise and ASU's College Attainment Grant receive only one of the two.

Free Tuition at ASU, UA and NAU: Obama Scholars ($42,400 Income Limit), NAU Access2Excellence ($65,000) and Arizona Promise

Free tuition at ASU, UA and NAU is real for many low-income Arizona residents, but each university gets there differently. ASU has the Obama Scholars Program, for families earning $42,400 or less, and the College Attainment Grant for Pell-eligible students. NAU has Access2Excellence, which covers tuition for household incomes up to $65,000. At the University of Arizona, the state's Arizona Promise Program is the main route. All of them require the FAFSA, and most don't cover housing.

The details below are from each university's financial aid pages. For the state programs, see Arizona financial aid.

The programs side by side

Program	Income test	Covers	Key deadline
ASU Obama Scholars	Family income $42,400 or less, and Pell-eligible	Tuition and fees for 4 years; part of on-campus housing and meals in year 1	FAFSA and complete application by Jan. 15
ASU College Attainment Grant	Pell-eligible	Resident tuition and fees for 4 years	FAFSA, error-free, by March 1
ASU University Grant	Family income $120,000 or less, not Pell-eligible	$3,000 a year, renewable	FAFSA
NAU Access2Excellence	Household AGI $65,000 or less	Fall and spring tuition (not fees)	FAFSA by April 15
Arizona Promise (all three)	Pell-eligible, 2.5 GPA	Remaining tuition and fees after other aid	FAFSA by April 1 (ASU, UA); April 15 (NAU)

Sources: ASU, Special Financial Assistance Programs for Arizona Residents; NAU, Access2Excellence; Arizona Board of Regents.

ASU: three programs, and a Jan. 15 date

Obama Scholars is the only one of these programs that helps with housing. For students starting in fall 2025 or later, it pays actual tuition and fees, including Barrett Honors College fees, for up to eight semesters. In the first year only, it also pays a standard amount toward on-campus housing and meals. ASU calculates the award as estimated direct costs, minus your Student Aid Index, minus other grants and scholarships, minus $3,000 in Federal Work-Study.

To be considered, you must:

Be an Arizona resident starting full time in the fall right after graduating from an Arizona high school
Meet ASU's course and aptitude admission requirements
Show a family income of $42,400 or less and be Pell-eligible
Have the FAFSA and a complete admission application (transcripts and fee included) in by Jan. 15

ASU warns that funding is limited and the program can close when money runs out, so meeting the deadline doesn't guarantee a spot. There's no separate application.

The College Attainment Grant covers resident tuition and fees for Pell-eligible Arizona residents enrolled full time on campus, for up to eight semesters. Students eligible for both it and Arizona Promise get only one of the two.

The University Grant is new for students starting in fall 2026. It's a renewable $3,000 a year for Arizona residents with family income of $120,000 or less who don't qualify for Pell, stacked on ASU's merit scholarships up to the cost of tuition.

ASU Online programs aren't eligible for any of these.

NAU: Access2Excellence up to $65,000

NAU's Access2Excellence (A2E) covers fall and spring tuition for undergraduate Arizona residents whose parents' combined Adjusted Gross Income (or their own, if independent) is $65,000 or less, at the Flagstaff and statewide campuses. NAU also requires a Student Aid Index of 65,000 or less.

What it skips: fees, summer tuition, housing, food and books. NAU points Pell-eligible students to Arizona Promise to cover mandatory and college fees.
Tribal members: members of one of Arizona's 22 federally recognized tribes get the full A2E benefit regardless of income or state of residence.
To get it: be admitted, file the FAFSA (NAU's preferred date is April 15), and enroll in 12+ credits.

For merit aid at NAU, see NAU's GPA-based scholarship chart.

University of Arizona: Arizona Promise

UA's financial aid office administers the Arizona Promise Grant for Pell-eligible residents. It needs a complete application and the FAFSA by April 1 and a 2.5 core unweighted GPA, and it fills the gap between tuition and fees ($13,900 for fall 2026 residents) and your other gift aid. Students who don't qualify for Pell are considered for UA's need-based University Grant. See Arizona Promise requirements and deadlines, and for merit aid, how UA's tuition awards work.

What this means for you

Applying to ASU? Aim for Jan. 15, 2027. Have the FAFSA and a complete application in by then for Obama Scholars.
Check your income against each line: $42,400 (Obama Scholars), $65,000 (A2E), $120,000 (ASU University Grant), or Pell eligibility (Promise and the College Attainment Grant).
Plan for housing costs. Except for Obama Scholars' first year, these programs don't cover room and board.
Enroll full time and in person. Online programs are excluded at ASU and NAU.