Harvard University announced on Monday that, starting in the 2025-26 academic year, students from families earning $200,000 or less annually will be eligible for free tuition. This decision aims to further expand access to higher education at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, enabling more students from a wide range of backgrounds to attend.
Harvard University President Alan M. Garber commented on the initiative, emphasizing that expanding access to a Harvard education helps increase the diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that contribute to students’ intellectual and personal growth. “By bringing together individuals with extraordinary potential to learn from one another, we unlock the full promise of the University,” Garber said.
The new policy will make approximately 86% of U.S. families eligible for Harvard’s financial aid program, reinforcing the university’s commitment to ensuring that students from diverse financial backgrounds can attend and graduate. Students from households earning $100,000 or less annually will not only have their tuition covered but will also receive support for housing, meals, health services, and other student expenses. Harvard’s website notes that while the annual undergraduate tuition is $56,550, the total cost of attendance, including housing and other expenses, amounts to $82,866.
Each year, Harvard enrolls around 24,600 undergraduate students. For the Class of 2028, the university admitted just 3.59% of the 54,000 applicants. Currently, about 55% of Harvard undergraduates receive some form of financial aid. During the 2023-24 academic year, families of students receiving aid contributed an average of $15,700 toward education costs.
William R. Fitzsimmons, Harvard College’s dean of admissions and financial aid, remarked on the importance of financial aid in attracting a wide array of talented students. “We recognize that the most talented students come from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds and from all over the world,” Fitzsimmons stated. “Our financial aid program ensures that these students know Harvard is a place where they belong and can thrive in a dynamic academic community.”
This move follows a gradual increase in the income thresholds for full financial aid at Harvard. Previously, families earning $85,000 or less annually qualified for full financial aid, which covered tuition, housing, and other essential services. Over the years, Harvard has steadily raised the income threshold for free tuition, beginning at $40,000 in 2004, moving to $60,000 in 2006, and then to $85,000 in 2023. The new $200,000 threshold further expands Harvard’s mission to make higher education more accessible to all talented students, regardless of their financial background.
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