Tuition fees free at Harvard University, for whom?

The authorities of Harvard University have announced that the university has offered free tuition to families earning less than $200,000 (£154,000) a year.

Harvard will also cover expenses like housing and health insurance for families earning less than $100,000.

The move came to make Harvard more affordable for middle-income families.

 The decision comes as part of a crackdown on diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) practices, the Trump administration targets university funding.

Harvard President Alan Garber said putting Harvard within financial reach for more individuals widens the array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Garber also said the policy will help make a Harvard College education possible for every admitted student.

It will begin in the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

The move would allow roughly 86% of US families to qualify for the university’s financial aid, the Ivy League school said.

According to the US Census, the US’s median household income was $80,000 in 2023.

A number of elite universities, including the University of Pennsylvania and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the US have taken similar steps in recent years.

Previously, Harvard had made all university costs free for families with incomes under $85,000. The costs include housing and medical care.

According to the Education Data Initiative, the average price of a private university in the US is $58,000 per academic year.

The research group found that the average cost of college has more than doubled since 2001.

The Trump administration has earlier threatened to pull funding from universities over diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, research and coursework. The authorities allege it is a form of racial discrimination. Following this, the financial aid expansions come.