According to Fox News, Harvard University announced on March 17 that starting from the 2025-2026 academic year, students from families with an annual income below US$200,000 (approximately HK$1.55 million) will benefit from full tuition coverage. Families with an income below US$100,000 (approximately HK$775,000) will also receive additional assistance for costs such as housing and health insurance. This move is seen as a significant step in addressing the current equity issues in higher education and reshaping the demographic structure of students at elite American institutions.
Data shows that after the implementation of this policy, about 86% of American families will qualify for financial support. The university emphasized that this threshold aligns closely with actual income levels in the US in 2023, the median household income in the US was US$80,610, well below the US$100,000 cutoff for assistance.
Harvard President Alan Garber stated, "Education should not be the exclusive domain of the privileged. By lowering the economic threshold, Harvard will attract more outstanding students from diverse backgrounds, whose varied experiences will enrich the academic ecosystem at Harvard." Data indicates that the average annual cost of attendance for undergraduate students at Harvard (including tuition and living expenses) exceeds US$85,000, and the new policy is expected to significantly relieve financial pressure on middle-class and working families.
Since the Trump administration issued several executive orders limiting higher education's focus on "diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)" in February, several prestigious institutions, including Harvard, have been exploring new pathways to maintain student diversity. While the university has not directly responded to political pressures, it emphasized that the new policy indirectly achieves campus diversity goals through economic measures.
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