New York City college will end tuition-free policy

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, which is one of the last tuition-free colleges in the nation but has been under severe financial strain, will begin charging undergraduates for the first time in more than a century. The New York Times reports that beginning in fall 2014, the New York City college will have students pay tuition based on a sliding scale; those with the greatest means will pay about $20,000 a year; many others, including those with the greatest needs, would pay nothing. The change will not apply to undergraduates enrolled as of this fall.