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Simpson College announces plan to cover student tuition

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November 6th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) — Simpson College in Indianola says it will cover tuition costs of Iowa students whose families have an adjusted gross income of $60,000 or less.

The Des Moines Register reports that the college announced its plan Monday, with Simpson President Jay Simmons saying in a statement, “There has been a lot of talk about making college affordable. We decided it was time to take action.”

Gary Steinke, president of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, say no other Iowa private college has such a program.

To qualify, students must be a 2018 Iowa high school graduate and state resident, submit a federal student aid application and have a 2016 adjusted gross income of $60,000 or less. They also must live on campus and pay room and board fees, which this year totaled $8,370.

Students would pay for any tuition increases.