<p>For 2016, Harvard recently announced an increase in financial aid, raising the lowest income threshold from $60,000 to $65,000 for families to qualify for free tuition. However, what Harvard did not announce was that to offset that increase, it DECREASED financial aid to parents at the high end. </p>
<p>So, basically if your family's income is at the lower end, you will qualify for more financial aid from Harvard. However, if your family's income is at the upper end, will have to pay Harvard more next year!</p>
<p>I don’t think that this is really new. The 10% contribution is only true for people with family income less than 150k for the last couple years. They may not have openly anounced it but the actual calculation is different every year in the last few years.</p>
<p>The above press release from the Harvard Gazette gives a good overview of Harvard’s New Financial Policy: “Beginning with the Class of 2016, families with incomes between $150,000 and $180,000 will be asked to pay slightly more than 10 percent of income.”</p>
<p>^^^ Absolutely not true. From 2008 to 2011, Harvard families earning between $150,000 and $180,000 paid, on average, about 10% of their AGI to Harvard. Using the top-end figure, that means paying $18,000 for tuition, room and board, which is a considerable discount to the full-fare price. Most families from that income bracket, with standard assets, received approximately $33,000 in financial aid during those years.</p>
<p>I commend Harvard for trying to be more accessible to modest income families, especially during these tough economic years. Harvard, like many selective colleges, recognizes that talent and academic achievement is widespread and it can come from anywhere; thus they are trying to attract the very best of students from every walks of life. What distinguishes Harvard is that it has the capacity to realize this vision. More so, it is because Harvard has a unique vision of what it wants to become.</p>
<p>As a continuation of my previous post: Harvard has an understanding of what it is now, and what it was in the past. One only needs to read a few articles on their websites to gain insight into their vision. A prominent example is the new pledge incoming freshmens are encouraged to take. The reasoning behind the formation of this pledge was justified by a class of 2014 survey which revealed that the freshmen didn’t equite Harvard to compassion.</p>
<p>Thus, the pledge asks freshmens to help make Harvard a compassionate community. What is my point? This added incentive is part of a much larger strategy. I do not think asking the well to-do to pay “a little over 10%” is particularly bad. As someone already mentioned, atleast it’s not like other universities that give little to nothing. The world is changing, and so is Harvard. That is why it is taking innovative measures to revitalize its image and scope.</p>
<p>To clarify my earlier post, what I meant to say is that most people who make over $150,000 will pay more than 10% at a college that is not Harvard. Even those like myself, who make much less than $150,000 will see a difference. For example our daughter’s LAC that meets 100% of demonstrated need asks us to pay about $15,000 out of $52k. Using the 10% rule, Harvard asks us to only pay $9,000 for our son.</p>