Want free tuition? Stay through the fourth quarter of a Maryland football game.

The University of Maryland is offering a new deal to entice students to attend football games: a chance at free tuition (kind of).

The state’s flagship university, whose football team has a 2-5 record, is offering a special raffle during its Saturday game against the University of Illinois.

Students who stay until the fourth quarter have the chance to win free tuition for the spring 2027 semester, worth up to $5,507. Eligible students must attend the game, scan a QR code shown on the video board during the game and stay until the fourth quarter.

Tuition at the university is just over $12,000 per year for Maryland residents, but with other fees and living expenses, the estimated cost of attendance stands at $32,408, according to the university’s website. For out-of-staters, the total cost is estimated to be $62,374 per year.

The university’s football team, which competes in the Big Ten conference, has struggled to fill stadium seats this season. The Terps have yet to win a conference game.

Last week, the team parted ways with head coach Michael Locksley, who had led the Terps since 2018. Locksley finished with a 38-49 record and only three seasons above .500. Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, the associate head coach for defense, is the team’s interim head coach.

This isn’t the first time the university has offered free tuition in exchange for football game attendance. In 2018, the school paid a total of $28,000 in scholarship money to students attending home games and staying in their seats until the fourth quarter.

That giveaway was funded by an anonymous donor who approached the university with the idea to incentivize students to stay through each game.

Free tuition isn’t the only perk the university is offering this weekend. Tickets to Saturday’s game are being sold as buy-one-get-two-free, and students are able to jump on other deals, including opportunities to win UMD sweatshirts and free snacks from Testudo, the school’s mascot.

The first 7,500 attendees will also receive a Bavarian alpine hat for Oktoberfest.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.