Harvard Opened Its Wallet. Now It Must Open Its Doors.

Despite White House threats that the federal purse strings will be tightened, Harvard has loosened its own.

Last week, the College announced an expansion to its financial aid program. Starting in the fall, students whose families make $100,000 or less will now receive full financial aid, and students whose families make $200,000 or less will have free tuition — a substantial increase from the current policy, where full aid ends at $85,000 and families making up to $150,000 pay less than ten percent of their income.

In the face of potential significant funding cuts in Harvard’s future, the University’s move demonstrates an ostensible commitment to financially supporting its students and ensuring top talent, once admitted, can attend. That said, increasing financial aid for students does not solve Harvard’s underlying lack of socioeconomic diversity.

First, we should give credit where it is due — the increase deserves commendation. Even as the University braces for a federal funding crisis — freezing hiring and planning a flat FAS budget — it has chosen to expand financial aid. In doing so, the University affirms making a Harvard education affordable amid great uncertainty.

By making the College more affordable, Harvard doesn’t merely withstand Trump’s threats — it subverts them. At a moment when universities are under siege, Harvard has reasserted higher education’s public mission.

The decision also strikes at a commonly-held criticism against elite institutions that paints them as out-of-touch enclaves solely serving a liberal gentry. Making Harvard more affordable pushes back against that claim at its root, strengthening public trust by showing that the University serves the public — not just the privileged. That move does more to restore Harvard’s image — and undermine Trump’s rhetoric — than any concession to Trump ever could.

So, to current students and the soon-to-be admitted Class of 2029: If you’re worried about what federal threats mean for your future at Harvard, rest assured that the University is doubling down on affordability.

But affordability does not guarantee true accessibility. Yes, Harvard’s financial aid increases are laudable. And yet, they do nothing to solve Harvard’s pernicious wealth gap. In 2000, Harvard economist Raj Chetty found the ratio of high-income to low-income students to be 23 to one, and the percentage of students in the lowest quintile by family income remained between four and six percent between 2000 and 2010.

The heart of Harvard’s elitist reputation is that lack of socioeconomic diversity, and mending it requires more than generous aid packages — it demands reforms that reach students long before they step onto our campus.

On top of these increases in financial aid, Harvard must begin to consider socioeconomic status in its admissions process, increase its recruiting efforts of low-income students, and start releasing socioeconomic data for admitted classes.

When talented low-income applicants face systemic barriers before financial aid is even on the table, expanding the program only addresses part of the problem — not the inequities that prevent many from applying or being admitted to begin with.

Nonetheless, we commend the University for taking this important step towards supporting students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. But progress demands more than generosity — it requires reform.

If Harvard truly hopes to champion socioeconomic diversity, it must do more than open its wallet — it must open its doors.

This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of The Crimson Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. In order to ensure the impartiality of our journalism, Crimson editors who choose to opine and vote at these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on similar topics.

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