---

Tuesday, March 18, 2025, MST – Harvard’s latest promise hooks you: free tuition for families under $200,000 starting next fall, all costs covered under $100,000, plus $2,000 grants to launch. Announced yesterday, it’s bold—86% of US households qualify, says census.gov, fueled by Harvard’s $50.7 billion endowment. That’s not taxpayer cash—it’s a massive pile from donations, investments, and alumni gifts, built up to $50.7 billion in 2023, per npr.org. I’ve chased plenty of stories, and this one’s got me digging—but is it a true win for openness, or a shiny dodge? Let’s face it: who you know often beats the grades you pull.

The numbers start big. Tuition’s $56,550 this year, room and board add $21,190, and fees pile on—over $80,000 total. Families under $100,000 get it all free now, up from $85,000, while $200,000 earners skip tuition. That’s $15 million more yearly, per news.harvard.edu, from that private endowment stash—plus philanthropy. But timing raises questions.

Back in the 1990s, aid was leaner—under $40,000 got breaks, tuition hit $25,000 by 2000, per thecrimson.com, and acceptance sat at 5%. The endowment stood at $19 billion, per npr.org, but help stayed small. By 2004, they pushed free aid to $40,000 as costs reached $45,000, per news.harvard.edu. That gate didn’t budge much.

The DEI push—Diversity, Equity, Inclusion—hit the 2010s. Race-based admissions lifted Black student share to 18% by 2022, per nytimes.com, costs soaring to $80,000+, aid at $85,000 free. Endowment climbed to $50.7 billion. Acceptance held at 3.59%, per bbc.com—a tiny gate. Legacy admits hovered at 14%, per thecrimson.com, often outweighing straight-A outsiders.

Post-DEI, 2023 shakes it up. The Supreme Court ends race-based admissions, Black share falls to 14% by 2024, per nytimes.com. Now this—$200,000 tuition-free, $100,000 all-free, $15 million more from that endowment, per news.harvard.edu. It’s private wealth—could fund this forever, says bostonherald.com—so why not before MIT and Penn’s 2024 moves?

President Alan Garber calls it a “lifeline,” per usatoday.com, but where’s the proof? Admissions boss William Fitzsimmons wants “talent from every state,” yet that 3.59% gate—86% qualify, 1 in 28 gets in—leans on connections over grades. No full data on race, income, or post-2023 shifts. If it’s real, open the books. What can we do? Email admissions@fas.harvard.edu—“Show the numbers: who’s in, who’s connected?” Post on X with #HarvardTransparency, tag @Harvard—call it loud. Check ed.gov for your state’s aid gaps and press local leaders—Harvard’s not alone. Share your push at AshesOnAir.org—let’s demand answers. Our forefathers didn’t settle for locked gates—neither should we.

Sources

• Census Bureau – https://www.census.gov
• NPR – https://www.npr.org
• Harvard Gazette – https://news.harvard.edu
• Harvard Crimson – https://www.thecrimson.com
• New York Times – https://www.nytimes.com
• BBC – https://www.bbc.com
• Boston Herald – https://www.bostonherald.com
• USA Today – https://www.usatoday.com