Most American households would qualify for free tuition under new Harvard policy

Mar 18

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Craig Nigrelli Reporter

By Craig Nigrelli (Reporter), Brock Koller (Senior Producer), Jack Henry (Editor)

Harvard University announced it is changing its income thresholds regarding tuition costs for undergraduates starting fall 2025. Students whose families make $200,000 or less will receive free tuition.
The current cost to attend Harvard is between $56,550 and $82,866 a year.
University data indicates about 55% of undergraduates receive some sort of financial aid.

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Starting fall of 2025, Harvard University will attempt to make its institution more affordable to middle-income families. Students whose families earn $200,000 a year or less will receive free tuition. Students whose families make $100,000 a year or less will be eligible for free tuition plus room and board, health insurance and travel expenses to and from home.

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The move comes after last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action. The ruling banned race from being considered in the college admissions process.

What is the reason behind the change in tuition/income thresholds?

Harvard described its move as a significant expansion for financial aid that will make the University “affordable to more students than ever.”

The previous threshold for free tuition at the Ivy League school was $85,000 a year, or below.

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How much does it currently cost to attend Harvard University?

According to the Registrar’s Office, tuition for the 2024-2025 school year is $56,550. When health and student services plus housing and food are added in, the total becomes $82,866.

Adam Nguyen, the founder of Ivy Link, a college admission consulting business, told The Wall Street Journal, making schools, such as Harvard, more affordable “will open up the socioeconomic ladder to a lot of families and to networks that they didn’t have before.”

Harvard estimates that 86% of American families could qualify for financial help under the new system.

On average, how many students attend Harvard?

The university has just under 25,000 undergraduates each year, with about 55% receiving some type of financial aid. The affluent school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, remains difficult to get into. In 2024, the school acceptance rate for applicants was 3.6%.

Are other universities doing this as well?

Recently, other prominent schools such as MIT, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Texas have announced similar tuition-free education.

Tags: Department of Education, Education, Education Department, Harvard, public education, Universities

[Craig]

COME THIS FALL, HARVARD UNIVERSITY WILL ATTEMPT TO MAKE ITS INSTITUTION MORE AFFORDABLE TO MIDDLE INCOME FAMILIES. STUDENTS, WHOSE FAMILIES EARN $200,000 a year OR LESS, WILL RECEIVE FREE TUITION. AND STUDENTS, WHOSE FAMILIES EARN 100,000 a year OR LESS, WILL BE ELIGIBLE NOT ONLY FOR FREE TUITION, BUT ALSO ROOM AND BOARD, HEALTH INSURANCE AND TRAVEL COSTS TO AND FROM HOME.
THE MOVE COMES IN THE WAKE OF LAST YEAR’S U.S. SUPREME COURT RULING ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, THAT BANNED RACE FROM BEING CONSIDERED IN THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS.
HARVARD DESCRIBED ITS MOVE AS A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION FOR FINANCIAL AID THAT WILL MAKE THE UNIVERSITY QUOTE “ AFFORDABLE TO MORE STUDENTS THAN EVER. “
THE PREVIOUS THRESHOLD FOR FREE TUITION AT THE IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL WAS $85,000 A YEAR OR BELOW.
WITHOUT FINANCIAL AID, ACCORDING THE UNIVERSITY REGISTRAR’S OFFICE, TUITION FOR THE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR IS $56,550 DOLLARS. ADD IN HEALTH AND STUDENT SERVICES, HOUSING AND FOOD AND THAT TOTAL BECOMES $82,866 DOLLARS A YEAR.
ADAM NGUYEN, THE FOUNDER OF IVY LINK, A COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CONSULTING BUSINESS, TOLD THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, MAKING SCHOOLS SUCH AS HARVARD MORE AFFORDABLE “WILL OPEN UP THE SOCIOECONOMIC LADDER TO A LOT OF FAMILIES, AND TO NETWORKS THAT THEY DIDN’T HAVE BEFORE. “
IN FACT, HARVARD ESTIMATES THAT 86 % OF AMERICAN FAMILIES COULD QUALIFY FOR THE FINANCIAL HELP UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM.
ACCORDING TO HARVARD’S DATA – THE UNIVERISTY HAS JUST UNDER 25,000 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS EACH YEAR WITH ABOUT 55% RECEIVING SOME TYPE OF FINANCIAL AID. THE AFFLUENT SCHOOL IN CAMBRIDGE MASSECHUSETTS IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET INTO. IN 2024, THE SCHOOL ACCEPTANCE RATE FOR APPLICANTS WAS JUST 3.6 %.

IN RECENT MONTHS, OTHER PROMINENT UNIVERSITIES SUCH AS MIT, THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ANNOUNCED TUITION FREE EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS MEETING SIMILAR FINANCIAL LIMITS THAT HARVARD IS NOW IMPLEMENTING.

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