Just how pricey is attending Harvard?

Hi everyone! I know Harvard is an Ivy League school and probably has a hefty price tag. Can someone please tell me their current tuition, fees, and other costs? Also, if anyone has any advice on how to offset those costs, it'd be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

As of the 2024-2025 academic year, here's a breakdown of the cost of attending Harvard:

1. Tuition: $56,550

2. Room: $12,922

3. Board: $8,268

4. Fees: $5,126

The total estimated cost of attendance (COA) comes to around $82,866 per year, not including personal expenses, books, and travel costs. However, keep in mind that Harvard offers comprehensive financial aid programs to help offset these costs for students who demonstrate financial need.

Some important facts about Harvard's financial aid:

- Harvard's financial aid is need-based, not merit-based, which means aid is awarded based solely on a student's financial need, not their academic or extracurricular credentials.

- Around 55% of Harvard students receive some form of financial aid.

- Families who earn under $85,000 are generally not expected to contribute towards the cost of attendance.

- Families who earn between $85,000 and $150,000 will contribute no more than 10% of their annual income.

To apply for financial aid at Harvard, you'll need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS profile. Harvard uses these applications to determine your eligibility for financial aid based on your family's financial situation.

In addition to need-based aid, you can apply for outside scholarships, which can be found through scholarship search engines or local community organizations. Even small awards can be worth pursuing, as they're generally less competitive, and they can add up! Many students also work part-time jobs or participate in work-study programs to further offset the cost of attendance.

Lastly, Harvard not only commits to meeting 100% of a student's demonstrated financial need, but also is need-blind for all applicants, which means they won't know your financial need when reviewing your application. So, you don't have to worry about your financial circumstances impacting either your odds of admission or your ability to attend if you are accepted.

Finally, on a separate note, if you want tips on how to maximize your chances of acceptance at Harvard, so that you can take advantage of their generous financial aid, check out this blog post from CollegeVine, which breaks down how to tackle their school-specific supplemental essays: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-harvard-university-essays/

Good luck! If you have any further questions about cost of attendance or your eligibility for aid, don't hesitate to reach out to Harvard's financial aid office directly. They're there to help, after all!