Financial Aid
Students Criticize Proposed Elimination of Loan Deductions
Graduate students say they are concerned about the tax plan’s “devastating” elimination of deductions for interest on student loans.
Financial Aid Spending Continues to Grow
Harvard awarded students a total of nearly $414 million in financial aid in fiscal year 2017, a roughly 4 percent increase from the previous year.
Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
Harvard’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid lies on Brattle Street.
Half the Battle: First-Generation Students at Harvard
First-generation students are navigating uncharted territory. As the first in their immediate families to pursue education at a four-year college or university, they have to surmount all the usual challenges of Harvard. But they face an additional hurdle: their parents can’t give them advice on surviving college.
Business School Expands Financial Aid Opportunities
Aiming to support more students from lower-income backgrounds, Harvard Business School will launch several scholarships targeted at first-generation college students.
Cost of Enrollment Rises 4.1 Percent, Marks Largest Increase in Decade
The cost of attending Harvard College will be $65,609 in the 2017-2018 academic year, representing a 4.10 percent increase from last year.
Median Family Income for Harvard Undergrads Triple National Average, Study Finds
The median family income for Harvard undergraduates is $168,800—more than three times the national median, according to a recent study.
After 'Failing' Debt Grade from Federal Gov., Harvard's A.R.T. Institute Freezes Admissions
After receiving a “failing” grade from the U.S. Department of Education for saddling students with high levels of debt, Harvard’s graduate dramaturgy program has frozen its admissions for fall 2017.
NBA Star Jeremy Lin ’10 Donates $1 Million for Financial Aid, Basketball Arena
Brooklyn Nets point guard and alumnus Jeremy Lin ’10 will donate $1 million to Harvard to help fund undergraduate financial aid and ongoing renovations of Harvard’s basketball arena, the University announced Wednesday.
Design School Honors Late Iraqi Architect Through Scholarship
At an event celebrating the accomplishments of the late Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, the Graduate School of Design unveiled a new scholarship to provide financial assistance to Middle Eastern students.
Nearly 20 Percent of Freshmen Received Financial Aid 'Startup' Grants
Eligible freshmen will receive $2,000 in “startup” grants over the course of the year from the Financial Aid Office, as part of a three-year pilot program.
To Diversify Membership, FOP Pilots New Program
Harvard’s First Year Outdoor Program piloted a less intensive week-long trip this summer intended to encourage more minority students to participate in the popular freshman orientation program—part of a larger effort to address ongoing issues with diversity.
Financial Aid Office Updates Shoestring Strategies App
Shoestring Strategies for Life @ Harvard now includes a centralized calendar and section on health and wellness in a bid to further support students once they matriculate.
First-Generation Alumnus Donates $25 Million to Harvard for Financial Aid, Hockey Program
Barakett’s donation endows Harvard’s new “start up” grants—$2,000 stipends that the College will provide starting next fall for students from low-income backgrounds in addition to their existing financial aid package.
6,700 and Not Counting
As Harvard approaches the opening of a new campus in Allston, some administrators are weighing in on whether Harvard should expand its undergraduate population.
Graduation, for a Price
Though aid exists, some students still struggle to foot the bill for Commencement.
80 Percent of Class of 2020 Admits Plan to Matriculate
About 80 percent of the students admitted to the Class of 2020 plan to matriculate in the fall—a yield rate comparable to that for the Class of 2019—after Harvard saw a record high number of applicants and a historic low percent acceptance.
Brazilian Billionaire Funds Financial Aid
The Lemann Foundation, a philanthropic organization created by Brazilian billionaire Jorge P. Lemann ’61, will give additional financial aid money to Harvard students from Brazil.
Harvard Accepts Record-Low 5.2 Percent of Applicants for Class of 2020
Harvard admitted a record-low 5.2 percent of applicants to the College’s Class of 2020, accepting 2,037 total students from a pool of more than 39,000 applicants and continuing a general decline in its admissions rate.
Starting Up College
We are excited by this change and see it as an innovative way to make students from low-income families feel more comfortable as they adjust to campus.
EdX Inaugurates Financial Aid Program
The virtual education platform co-founded by Harvard and MIT now allows financially disadvantaged students to receive a 90-percent discount on course certificates.
College Forms ‘Start-Up’ Freshman Grants, Increases Tuition
Starting next fall, incoming freshmen from some low-income families will be eligible for a $2,000 “start-up” grant in addition to their existing financial aid. This announcement from college administrators Tuesday came with another one: tuition will increase 3.9 percent for the 2016-2017 academic year.
Spring Break Dining
J.P. Licks, a popular eatery in Harvard Square, was one of the many options available to students on “high financial aid” who received a stipend for Spring Break dining if they stayed on campus due to the closure of dining halls.
Two Years Later, Griffin Gift Impacts Potential Donors
More than two years after Kenneth C. Griffin ’89’s record-breaking gift to Harvard in support of the College’s financial aid program, administrators said the gift has been impactful both for hundreds of undergraduates and potential donors.