New York City’s Cooper Union has announced an end to its longstanding tradition of free tuition for all. The school says students will now be charged on a sliding scale, with tuition as high as $20,000 for those deemed able to afford it. School officials claim those unable to afford tuition still will not have to pay. Cooper Union students have not paid tuition in more than 100 years. The decision was announced after nearly two years of protests from students and faculty to preserve Cooper Union’s status as one of the few remaining tuition-free colleges in the country.