Harvard University made a historic announcement that students from families with incomes below $200,000 will receive free education when the new policy takes effect in 2025-2026. Students from families earning less than $100,000 will receive fee coverage along with housing, food, health insurance and various other expenses from the university. The enhanced program will benefit about 86 percent of U.S. families and is designed to reduce the financial barriers to enrolling at one of the world’s most prestigious universities.
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Harvard previously covered full tuition for families with incomes under $85,000, but this new initiative will significantly widen eligibility. M. Garber, president of Harvard, said in a statement that the policy would expand the diversity of student backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, which he said helped to stimulate both intellectual and personal growth.
The policy comes as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs come under increasing scrutiny, especially under the Trump administration’s efforts to limit such programs. Harvard’s new financial aid policy reflects the university’s strong commitment to a diverse and inclusive community, even as universities face national pressure to reduce DEI efforts. This step continues Harvard’s push towards making higher levels of education more equitable and accessible for a greater number of students so that more students can partake in the education that Harvard that has to offer.
Source: BBC News
