The City University of New York has announced a $10 million gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies (CNP) in support of a tuition-free initiative at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.

The gift will bring the core endowment of the journalism school to $30 million and enable half the class starting in August 2025 to enroll for free. The school aims to raise an additional $30 million by the end of 2026 to offer free tuition to its entire student body in perpetuity.

Founded in 2006, the school continuously innovates its curriculum, with programs to include a center for community media that serves immigrants and people of color as well as an initiative that trains journalists fluent in Spanish and English on changing the narrative around Latino communities. CNP awarded $20 million to the school’s foundation in 2018, and the school was renamed in honor of the gift.

“Trustworthy journalism plays a crucial role in protecting our country from bad actors at home and abroad,” said craigslist founder Craig Newmark. “Now more than ever, we rely on the media to report the truth, hold the powerful accountable, and deliver information that empowers our communities. No school is better than CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism at training the next generation of journalists to meet this responsibility. For nearly 200 years, CUNY has been the pathway to the middle class for students who grew up like me. A tuition-free CUNY Journalism School opens the door to journalism jobs for students of all backgrounds, while helping to ensure that our local and national media outlets reflect the communities journalists serve.”

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