The purpose of this case study is to understand higher education administrators' perceptions of New York State's tuition-free initiative, the Excelsior Scholarship. A comprehensive literature review offers insights into a select history of higher education policy, as well as the current condition of public higher education. Guided by a transformative paradigm, this research was designed as an instrumental single-site case study to explore the multiple dimensions of the tuition-free phenomenon. A total of eight higher education administrators from a public institution in the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as one subject matter expert, were recruited for the study. Five themes emerged surrounding the design of the Excelsior Scholarship, implications for college access, and the future of higher education. The study concludes with the introduction of the Holistic Institutional Support Model, which illustrates the role of the institution in promoting student persistence. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]