Harvard offers free education to some students based on income

The Ivy League school planned to drop all university expenses for students whose families have annual incomes of $100,000 or less, according to a Monday statement from Harvard University Admissions. The school also planned to offer students free tuition if their family made $200,000 or less annually, the statement added.

Expanding financial aid will put Harvard within reach of more students, bringing more perspectives and backgrounds together for greater personal growth, University President Alan Garber told The Harvard Gazette. The university started waiving all expenses for students in 2004 if their families reported an annual income of $40,000 or less. The program continued to expand for nearly 20 years and reached an $85,000 income threshold by 2023, according to The Harvard Gazette.

What exactly would be covered for “all expense paid” students? Starting this fall, students eligible for full coverage will no longer pay for tuition, housing, food, fees, health insurance, and travel costs, according to the school newspaper. These students will also receive a $2,000 grant during both their freshman and junior years. Students eligible for free tuition only may have other billed expenses covered depending on their financial circumstances.

Dig deeper: Read Johanna Huebscher’s report on Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City dropping tuition charges last year.