Harvard: Free Tuition for Families Earning Under $60K

[Nia Imani]

Harvard: Free Tuition for Families Earning Under $60K

By THE CRIMSON STAFF

Contributing Writers

Families earning less than $60,000 a year will no longer be expected to pay for their children to attend Harvard, school officials said today.

With that announcement, Harvard jumps to the head of a pack of top universities that are expanding financial aid for undergraduates from low-income and middle-class families.

In 2004, Harvard officials said that families earning less than $40,000 a year would no longer have to contribute to the cost of their children’s tuition, room, and board. But undergraduates still had to foot a fraction of their tuition costs through paid work or student loans.

The school’s policy on student contributions is now set to change. According to Harvard’s current student handbook, which still reflects the 2004 policy, the financial aid committee “expects that students will save approximately $2,000 from their summer job to be contributed toward the educational expenses of the following year.” Outside scholarships could not be used to replace summer income. But according to a statement from Harvard officials today, students will now be able to use outside scholarships “to eliminate their summer savings obligations.”

Since 2004, several selective schools in the Ivy League and beyond have one-upped Harvard’s financial aid pledge. Yale announced last March that families earning under $45,000 would no longer have to contribute to their children’s tuition and fees. This month, Stanford matched Yale’s offer for families earning less than $45,000. And just last week, the University of Pennsylvania announced that families earning less than $50,000 would no longer have to take out loans to send their children to the school.

Harvard also announced today that it would reduce tuition costs for families earning between $60,000 and $80,000 a year.

Median household income in the United States was $44,389 in 2004, the most recent year for which data is available, according to the Census Bureau.

Source: http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=512382

[rebelAfrika]

I thought they said "Stanford"...but I was "half sleep" when I heard this on the news.

[Im The Truth]

There is something up with this one. Under 40K that mean everyone can go to Havard for free I find that pretty hard to believe.

[rebelAfrika]

Originally Posted by Im The Truth

There is something up with this one. Under 40K that mean everyone can go to Havard for free I find that pretty hard to believe.

I don't think that this tuition matter has any bearing on the admissions procedures. I think that the admission procedures may remain as rigorous (discriminatory) as ever. It's just that those who do "somehow" get admitted into the euroversity (who do NOT earn enough money) may not have to worry about the tuition.

[jamal-s]

I thought about trying to take advantage of that, but I decided to stay at an HBCU.

[Fenix]

The admissions process is "need-blind" I believe. Which means that they evaluate your academic merits and once they accept you, begin to consider financial aid.

I also understand that the minority students at Harvard are trying to take FULL advantage of this. They have started a student recruitment committee whose job is basically to encourage more "underprivileged" minorities to apply in the hopes of getting a free education to more worthy candidates. I think it's noble in some ways. I guess we'll see how it turns out in a few more years.

I do however have a few reservations about what this means for some smaller universities. I think that HBCUs get increased federal funding based on the number of National Merit/Achievement Scholars they enroll (maybe this comes from the scholarship that the Scholars get?). I'm not exactly sure but if that is so, I would think that this would take away from their enrollment pools.

[rebelAfrika]

Originally Posted by jamal-s

I thought about trying to take advantage of that, but I decided to stay at an HBCU.

One of those Ivy League schools tried to recruit Kwame Ture (when he was Stokely Carmichael) but his level of consciousness at the time compelled him to go to Howard University instead.

I almost went to Howard myself. I didn't go to a HBCU, but I went to the school in California with the most Africans.

[rebelAfrika]

Originally Posted by Fenix

I also understand that the minority students at Harvard are trying to take FULL advantage of this. They have started a student recruitment committee whose job is basically to encourage more "underprivileged" minorities to apply in the hopes of getting a free education to more worthy candidates. I think it's noble in some ways. I guess we'll see how it turns out in a few more years.

I think they mean well.

Originally Posted by Fenix

I do however have a few reservations about what this means for some smaller universities. I think that HBCUs get increased federal funding based on the number of National Merit/Achievement Scholars they enroll (maybe this comes from the scholarship that the Scholars get?). I'm not exactly sure but if that is so, I would think that this would take away from their enrollment pools.

If a African thinks an Ivy League is better than an HBCU...this "opportunity" COULD effect the enrollment pool of the HBCUs. Then again...while I know I could have went to Howard...I don't believe that their enrollment process is as rigorous (discriminatory) as Harvard's. In other words...I think that EVEN IF some of us want to go to Harvard...they might be "forced" to go to Howard.

[rebelAfrika]

Originally Posted by rebelAfrika

I thought they said "Stanford"...but I was "half sleep" when I heard this on the news.

Apparently Harvard has been doing this, but Stanford has recently initiated something similar (check the dates): http://news-service.stanford.edu/pr/...ce-022008.html

[BlackIsPower]

It's a trick to this one....maybe they get some type of tax exemption for letting enough "minorities" in, tax exemption= they get to keep holding on to alot more of those "donations" and if you are a for-profit university you need as many losses to cover some of your assets