Our goal is to bring the most promising students to Harvard—period. We've created a financial aid program to help ensure that admitted students can afford their Harvard education. Our financial aid officers will work closely with your family to understand your financial situation, then create a comprehensive financial aid package that accounts for the full cost of attendance.

Once you're admitted, the Financial Aid Committee will assess your family’s financial need and offer you an award to meet it. We determine need based on your family’s income, assets, and overall financial circumstances. You'll never be required to take on loans, and we don't factor in home equity or retirement savings when crafting your aid package. Most importantly, your financial situation will not affect your chances of admission to Harvard College.

We know that each student's financial circumstances are unique. Your financial aid officer will work with you all four years to understand your needs and take the stress out of affording Harvard.

Harvard costs what your family can afford. We make sure of that. 

$100,000 family income and below, with typical assets: Free  

Financial aid covers all billed expenses, including tuition, fees, food, housing, and more, including a $2,000 start-up grant (first year), health insurance (if needed), travel costs between campus and home, winter gear, event fees, and other activities, and a $2,000 launch grant (junior year) to help students prepare for post-Harvard life. 

$200,000 family income and below, with typical assets: Free Tuition Plus  

Financial aid covers the full cost of tuition, plus. In addition to tuition, students qualify for financial aid to cover additional costs, such as fees, food, and housing, based on their individual financial circumstances. 

Family income above $200,000 with typical assets: Tailored Financial Aid 

Financial aid will be available to many students from families with incomes above $200,000, depending on individual circumstances. Harvard College’s financial aid staff work personally and individually with students and families to provide financial aid that matches each family’s specific financial situation. 

These thresholds assume typical assets and do not include equity in the family home or retirement assets. They are based on a typical U.S. cost of living and typical taxes. Students are expected to cover $3,500 in personal expenses per academic year, typically through work-study hours.

To learn more, check out our financial aid fact sheet or see the breakdown of the full cost of attendance. You can also compare Harvard's cost to that of other schools with the MyinTuition Quick College Cost Estimator.

In addition to Harvard's scholarship funds, other types of aid include:

• Student employment
• Optional loans
• Outside awards

Your financial aid officer can help you find these and other types of aid.