Harvard to Stop Asking Parents Who Earn Below $40,000 to Aid Their Childre

[central scrutinizer]

http://chronicle.com/daily/2004/03/2004030102n.htm


Monday, March 1, 2004


Harvard to Stop Asking Parents Who Earn Below $40,000 to Aid Their Children's Education
By JULIANNE BASINGER and SCOTT SMALLWOOD
Miami Beach, Fla.
Harvard University's president, Lawrence H. Summers, told college presidents gathered here Sunday that the gap in opportunities for children from different economic backgrounds is the "most severe domestic problem in the United States," and he called on colleges and universities to take steps to ameliorate it.
To deal with those issues at Harvard, Mr. Summers announced on Sunday that parents in families who earn less than $40,000 a year would no longer be asked to pay anything toward their children's education. The change is geared to encourage low- and moderate-income students to attend Harvard.

[Reverend_Smitty]

1. Good

Now if we can convince the rest of the universities across this country to do the same thing!

-a college student of a single parent that makes less than $40,000 a year

[noonwitch]

2. Considering the tuition for a year at Harvard is probably close to $40000

I don't know how a parent making $40000 a year could send their kid to Harvard without lots of financial aid/scholarships to begin with!

[mobuto]

4. They've given financial aid/scholarships

for years. The only difference is that now students won't have to contribute any money, as opposed to a small portion of it.

[MetaTrope]

3. Fast track to Sallie Mae loans

and a couple decades' worth of student debts.

[BiggJawn]

5. Oh, boy! I can send my kid to Harvard now!

Shame she'd just blow it away...She's a good kid, just doesn't have her priorities in a row yet.....

[hyphenate]

6. Wow--excellent!

I was one of those students back some years ago that had to quit college because my parents couldn't afford it. I hope this does give some lower income students the chance to make something of themselves through a fine education.

It's interesting to see Harvard being so progressive. It's nice to see, though. And MIT put the bulk of their courses up online for people to study as well, without having to pay for the lessons. Let's see what Bush's alma mater does now, since both MIT and Harvard are so prominent.

[Dover]

8. That's an absolutely brilliant idea.....online free tutorials. Got a link

to the online program at MIT? Of course it's not the best way to learn, as much of that comes from the sharing of ideas in a classroom setting or working with a mentor hands-on. But it's a start.

[hyphenate]

9. Yep

Here's a link to the courses available:

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Global/all-courses.htm

[bluestateguy]

7. Damn! Why wasn't this in effect when I was a student?

I was a student at another expensive University in the Boston area and I sure wish this policy was on the books back then. Could I apply for a refund?