Charlotte Yeskulsky | Head Editor
March 20, 2025
Harvard University is making a huge move to make college more affordable, announcing that students from families earning $100,000 or less per year will now qualify for free tuition. While Harvard has always been known for its generous financial aid, this expansion means that even more students who may have thought an Ivy League education was out of reach can now realistically consider it.
Before this change, Harvard’s full-tuition aid was only available to families making up to $75,000, but by increasing the threshold, they are opening the door for more middle-class families who often struggle with the high cost of college. Another thing to note is that its is not just tuition. Harvard’s financial aid often covers room, board, and other expenses, meaning some students may graduate with little to no debt at all.
This shift is part of a larger trend among elite universities looking to make education more accessible. Schools like Princeton and Yale have also expanded their financial aid programs, recognizing that cost is a major barrier for many students. Senior Ashley Stafford, who is going to be an incoming student at Yale this fall, agreed that “changes like these help significantly with the financial burden.” With the rising cost of college and increasing student debt, Harvard’s decision could push other universities to rethink their own tuition policies.
For students and families, this news is a game-changer. College is expensive, and for many, even considering a school like Harvard feels impossible. Senior Keira Toumi had another take and believed that it would be “much more helpful if other universities and non Ivies did the same.” With more college decisions coming out every single day the search for the perfect fit continues, and SCHS students narrow down their options. While university size, academics, and social life play major factors in those decisions, ultimately tuition price can be the unfortunate decider. Even students that come from families earning more than 100k per year can still face the exact same problem because, oftentimes, parents don’t offer to help financially. While it may never become a reality that other schools offer free tuition, at least with this new Harvard policy, talented students from all backgrounds have a real chance to attend one of the best universities in the world without the financial stress that usually comes with it.
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