Photo: WBZ NewsRadio
CAMBRIDGE, Mass (WBZ NewsRadio) — Harvard College made a change to financial aid on Monday that will make attending the school free for a growing number of qualifying individuals.
According to the school, Harvard University President Alan M. Garber and Edgerley family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra announced Harvard will be expanding financial aid in three areas.
- Harvard College will be fully free for students coming from families with incomes of $100,000 or lower.
- Students from families with incomes of $200,000 or lower will receive free tuition and additional aid.
- Also, many students with family incomes that are more than $200,000 will still be able to qualify for financial aid.
This plan will go into effect starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, and the school says that this expansion will allow for 86% of families in the United States to qualify for Harvard College’s financial aid.
Read More: Dreary Weather Isn’t Stopping St. Patrick’s Day Crowds In Boston
“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,” said President Garber. “By bringing people of outstanding promise together to learn with and from one another, we truly realize the tremendous potential of the University.”
“Harvard has long sought to open our doors to the most talented students, no matter their financial circumstances,” said Dean 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.”
According to Harvard, they have been able to increase its threshold for students to qualify for fully free schooling numerous times in the past 21 years.
The Harvard Financial Aid Initiative started in 2004, allowing students with family incomes of $40,000 or lower to be considered for fully covered college. Since then, it was bumped to $60,000 in 2006 and $85,000 in 2023, to $100,000 in the 2025-26 academic year.