Harvard Opens Their Doors Wider: A Step for Opportunity or More Competition?
- Nizmund Manalad
- Mar 24
- 2 min read
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university known for its academic excellence in various subjects. Fortunately, the nation’s oldest Ivy League university just became cheaper for several students.
On March 17, 2025, an announcement was made by Garber and Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra that Harvard will be free for students that come from families with an annual income of $100,000 or less. This means that their tuition and other expenses like food, books, and housing will be covered. It will also be tuition-free for students from families with an annual income of $200,000 or less.
This means that around 86% of students in the United States whose families qualify for Harvard College’s financial aid can earn a free college education. Dean Hoekstra who is the Faculty of Arts and Sciences states that “Harvard has long sought to open our doors to the most talented students, no matter their financial circumstances.” Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, this will be instituted.
Just like every shift in a policy, there will always be potential downsides. This new policy will cause there to be a potential increase in applications, leading to a lower acceptance rate. Those who have thought that going to a prestigious school would be hard to get in due to financial problems may now see it as an achievable dream. Yes, this is great news for those families, but it can lead to considerable consequences.
Many may not realize that the more applicants Harvard receives, the more competition there will be for the admission process. As talented and diverse applicants whose family income is low will apply, the prestigious university will still have to maintain its image of only allowing the best of the best.
While free tuition at Harvard may seem like a step toward equality, it could lead to unintended consequences that may not have been considered yet.
Comments