Harvard University Announces Free Tuition For Students From Families Making $200,000 Or Less
Harvard University announced this week that undergraduate tuition will be free for students that come from households making $200,000 or less as their annual income. The university said this move is in an effort to offer an Ivy League education to everyone without the worry of a financial burden.
Harvard will be free for students to attend if their families are making $100,000 or less with the university also committing to cover student housing, health insurance, and travel costs from their home to campus.
“Putting Harvard within financial reach for more individuals widens the array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that all of our students encounter, fostering their intellectual and personal growth,” Harvard University President Alan M. Garber said.
“By bringing people of outstanding promise together to learn with and from one another, we truly realize the tremendous potential of the University.”
According to Harvard’s financial aid website, undergraduate tuition for Harvard College, an undergraduate institution at the university, was $56,000 this year with a total cost of $83,000 for attendance.
This recent pledge from Harvard is a part of its Financial Aid Initiative. The initiative was launched in 2004 as a means of making tuition more affordable for students of all economic backgrounds. Throughout the past 20 years the initiative has given students whose families have an income of $85,000 or less free tuition.
“Harvard has long sought to open our doors to the most talented students, no matter their financial circumstances,” said Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Hopi Hoekstra.
“This investment in financial aid aims to make a Harvard College education possible for every admitted student, so they can pursue their academic passions and positively impact our future.”
This specific announcement from Harvard is to entice middle-income families in the US. In the university’s statement, they claimed that 55% of their undergraduates receive some kind of financial aid, with an average family contribution of around $15,000.
“We know the most talented students come from different socioeconomic backgrounds and experiences, from every state and around the globe,” said William R. Fitzsimmons, Harvard College’s dean of admissions and financial aid.
“Our financial aid is critical to ensuring that these students know Harvard College is a place where they can be part of a vibrant learning community strengthened by their presence and participation.”
The scholarship funding will come from “a variety of sources, including Harvard endowment funds, gifts from alumni, general tuition revenues, and federal and state grants,” according to Harvard’s financial aid website.
“Our team works closely with each student to ensure full inclusion in the Harvard experience,” said Griffin Director of Financial Aid Jake Kaufmann.
“The financial aid program is designed so that Harvard students can study, train, research, create, and fully engage in the Harvard experience with minimal constraints.”
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.