Empowering North Carolina Students
At Wake Forest, we believe a world-class education should be defined by your potential and not your financial boundaries. The Gateway initiative is part of our longstanding commitment to minimize student loans and make a transformative college experience accessible to families right here in North Carolina.
By looking at a family’s total financial picture, including both household income and typical assets, we provide guaranteed funding pathways to simplify your planning:
| Family Income | What We Cover | What You Pay |
|---|---|---|
| $100,000 or less | Tuition & standard living expenses (housing and food) | $0 for tuition and standard housing/food |
| $100,001 to $200,000 | 100% of Tuition | Standard living expenses and student fees |
| $200,001 to $300,000 | 50% of Tuition | Remaining tuition, living expenses, and fees |
A Note on Assets
When we look at your family’s assets, we do not count your primary home’s equity or your parents’ retirement accounts. We focus on typical assets (like savings or non-retirement investments) that align naturally with your income level. Our goal is to support you, not penalize your family’s long-term security.
Even if your family falls outside these specific brackets, please know that Wake Forest meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted domestic undergraduate students through scholarships, grants, work-study, and/or subsidized loans.
How to Qualify: Your 3-Step Checklist
Securing your Gateway funding is simple. Just complete these three steps during your application process:
- Let Us Know You’re Applying for Aid
- On your application for admission, simply check “Yes” when asked if you are seeking need-based financial aid.
- Complete Your Financial Aid Applications
- The FAFSA®
- The CSS Profile
- Your family’s relevant tax documentation
- For more information about our financial aid application, please check out this page.
- Verify Your North Carolina Residency
- Like all universities in the state, we verify NC residency through the North Carolina Residency Determination Service (NCRDS). We highly recommend completing this quick process around the same time you submit your Wake Forest application.
- (Please note: Residency decisions are made independently of Wake Forest Admissions).
Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding Income & Assets
How do you define “typical assets”?
Assets are evaluated internally to ensure they are consistent with a family’s income profile. To keep this program as impactful as possible, your family’s retirement savings and primary home equity are completely excluded from our calculations.
Is Gateway eligibility based on our Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)?
We look at your family’s overall financial health, which includes all positive income (both taxed and untaxed). Because of this, our assessment is based on your total positive income rather than strictly your tax return’s AGI.
Enrollment & Student Status
Are transfer students eligible for the Gateway program?
Yes! Transfer students enrolling in the Fall of 2026 or beyond are fully eligible. Your eligible semesters of funding (up to a maximum of eight) will be adjusted based on your transferred credits and class standing.
Does this program apply to part-time or graduate students?
The Gateway program is specifically designed to support full-time undergraduate students pursuing their degrees during the fall and spring semesters. Part-time and graduate programs are not eligible.
Will Gateway funding cover Summer Session coursework?
No. Funding is dedicated to the standard academic year (fall and spring semesters) and cannot be applied to summer terms.
Out-of-State Families
Do you plan to extend these benefits to families who live outside of North Carolina?
We know that the cost of college is a significant consideration for families everywhere, and we hope to expand the geographic reach of the Gateway Initiative in the future. While we do not have a specific timeline for expansion, please remember our core promise: Wake Forest meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all domestic students. No matter where you call home, we will work closely with your family to provide a financial aid package that bridges the gap between what you can afford and the cost of attendance.