Does Harvard Provide Scholarships for Students?

As I'm exploring potential colleges, Harvard is on my radar. I know they have a strong financial aid program, but I'm not sure about the specifics of their scholarships. Does Harvard offer scholarships, and if so, what are the main types? Are they mostly need-based, or do they include other types as well? I'd appreciate any advice from those familiar with Harvard's financial aid.

Yes, Harvard University does offer scholarships to its students. However, it's essential to understand how Harvard's financial aid works. Harvard's aid system is entirely need-based, meaning that they don't offer merit scholarships, athletic scholarships, or scholarships for certain majors or fields of study.

The university's financial aid program is one of the most generous in the U.S. Harvard provides 100% of demonstrated financial need for all accepted students, both domestic and international. This means that if you are accepted to Harvard and demonstrate financial need, you will receive aid covering your total cost of attending, including tuition, fees, room and board, and even personal expenses.

Harvard also has a few policies to further ease the financial burden. For example, families with an annual income below $85,000 are expected to make no contribution to their child's education. In other words, their child can attend Harvard tuition-free. For families with annual incomes between $85,000 and $150,000, the expected family contribution is between zero and 10% of their income.

Hope this helps clarify the type of financial aid Harvard offers. The university is committed to ensuring that admitted students can afford to attend regardless of their financial situation. Remember to use Harvard's Net Price Calculator (https://college.harvard.edu/financial-aid/net-price-calculator) to get a clearer estimate of what your family can expect to pay if you're admitted.