If you’ve ever joked that you’d need a winning lottery ticket to afford Harvard, well…you might want to put that ticket away. Starting this fall, Harvard University is covering tuition for students from families earning $200,000 or less per year—a huge jump from the previous $85,000 cutoff. And if your family makes less than $100,000, Harvard will go even further, covering housing, meals, travel, and even winter gear (because surviving a Cambridge winter without a proper coat should NOT be a rite of passage).
This move puts Harvard in line with schools like MIT and the University of Pennsylvania, which have also expanded their financial aid programs in recent years. Harvard’s new president, Alan M. Garber, says it’s all about making the university more accessible and diverse. “By bringing people of outstanding promise together to learn with and from one another, we truly realize the tremendous potential of the university,” he explained in the announcement.
So, what does this mean? For thousands of students, the Ivy League dream just became a reality. No more choosing between world-class education and a lifetime of student loans. Harvard’s decision isn’t just about numbers—it’s about breaking barriers and proving that financial circumstances shouldn’t determine access to top-tier education.
Curious which other schools are making tuition more affordable? Check out this list of colleges offering free or reduced tuition programs: [insert link if available].
The future of higher education is shifting—and for many, it’s looking a whole lot more affordable.
