Mar 04, 2017 08:02 AM EST By Audri Taylors, UniversityHerald Reporter

Florida International University offers free tuition and fees to students who will not be able to afford college. This program is called the "Golden Promise", which aims to help college students when it comes to their financial challenges with the increasing costs of college.

The 2017 freshmen students will be the first recipients of the scholarship program says FIU, and it will cover the differences in the financial aid so that students will still be able to take 30 credit hours every year and be able to finish college in four years, NBC Miami reported.

Mark B. Rosenberg, the FIU President said that the Golden Promise aims to ease financial challenges when it comes to college costs for the students who are academically qualified and are willing to work hard in the university. He said that their goal is to help these students become successful and ultimately obtain a degree after four years, according to FIU News.

The Golden Promise guarantees free tuition coverage for students who are residents of Florida and have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of zero on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students should be able to register full-time and reach at least 12 hours per semester and maintain a GPA of not less than 2.0.

Those who are going to be able to submit by March 1 will be given priority financial aid, although students still have until June 30 to apply. Officials urge early application because they say that the earlier the students apply, the more money they will receive and the sooner they will find out the amount of money they are entitled to.

The students who are qualified usually come from families whose earnings are not greater than $33,000 a year. Luisa Havens, the Vice President for Enrollment Management said that since many students are not able to take summer classes which are crucial for timely graduation, they are helping them with the scholarship money so that they can graduate on time, become free of debt and be able to land a job.

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