Harvard tuition is free for most of its students. Seriously.

Reader comment on: The $430,000 Law Professor

Submitted by IvyAlum (United States), Apr 25, 2012 14:04

In the past few years, Harvard, as well as other Ivy League universities, has addressed this exact concern, especially given the fact that it has a multi-billion dollar endowment. According to the Harvard financial aid website (http://www.fao.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do) 60% of their students receive need-based financial aid and students whose families earn less that $65k per year are covered completely.

from the above website: "We do not consider home equity or retirement accounts as resources in our determination of a family contribution, and aid packages do not include any loans. A typical student may receive over $150,000 in Harvard scholarship assistance over four years and the majority of students receiving scholarship are able to graduate debt-free. Our program continues to be generous for students across the economic spectrum, with more than two thirds of those receiving scholarship assistance coming from families with incomes greater than $60,000."

Also, generally speaking, and I don't know if this was the case for Coakly, but most professorships are endowed, meaning someone has donated money specifically for the position, which means that the money can only be used for that singular purpose.

Moreover, as a private university, there are no tax dollars going to fund any professorship at the school, so the reverse Robin Hood claims made by the author are a tempest in a tea pot at best.


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The Future of Capitalism replies:

The money is fungible and there are huge sums of federal dollars going to Harvard in research funding, pell grants, and federal subsidies for student loans, for charitable donations, for tax-exempt bonds...

The financial aid Web site you quote is for the college, not the law school, which has different policies.

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Title By Date
Can't even pay for a vacation [25 words]elkh1Apr 26, 2012 21:57
good part time pay plus [55 words]mmApr 26, 2012 06:19
She makes waaaay more [39 words]Peak viewApr 26, 2012 02:35
Incorrect, has to be [4 words]dakota bradleyApr 25, 2012 19:45
At night, she lights her Obama altar candles... [35 words]JoeApr 25, 2012 19:28
Massachusetts will reject this fraud [79 words]Angus in San AntonioApr 25, 2012 18:46
And women make less than men? [2 words]IronApr 25, 2012 18:32
Why does college costs so much? [60 words]LindaApr 25, 2012 18:22
First class?! [45 words]Harry BinswangerAug 20, 2012 17:58
How many Hours? [43 words]Dennis DApr 25, 2012 16:45
Another fabrication [54 words]Ben telemonMay 3, 2012 17:37
Grad students grading papers [29 words]Harry BinswangerAug 20, 2012 18:05
WTF [13 words]JLApr 25, 2012 16:22
Not bad for two years work either [171 words]ted hussApr 25, 2012 16:09
Harvard Pays Profs Same as Biglaw 6th Years???
[w/response] [74 words]
HBApr 25, 2012 15:52
Nationwide [66 words]GabrielApr 25, 2012 15:44
Voting for Romney is not too hard a choice, given the alternative [40 words]fmcApr 25, 2012 15:29
Still have incorrect salary [45 words]You're a hackApr 25, 2012 15:25
You publish an error, but don't correct it? [93 words]Straight upApr 25, 2012 14:51
warren [8 words]Dee SmithApr 25, 2012 15:59
Robin Hood stole from the tax collecting sheriff of Nottingham [27 words]CWApr 25, 2012 14:47
⇒ Harvard tuition is free for most of its students. Seriously.
[w/response] [222 words]
IvyAlumApr 25, 2012 14:04
Re: Harvard tuition is free for most of its students. Seriously. [162 words]IvyAlumApr 26, 2012 16:26
American postmodern liberalism [41 words]robert smithApr 25, 2012 12:43
Co$t effective...not! [8 words]Big BearApr 25, 2012 12:39
champion of the middle class [16 words]kentuckianApr 25, 2012 12:19
Part-time work. [16 words]UnattornneyApr 25, 2012 12:10
WHAT DID SHE DO FOR 430K [97 words]dan maloneApr 25, 2012 11:43
What did She do? [11 words]Ptolemy CraigApr 25, 2012 16:04
College [39 words]John ButlerApr 25, 2012 11:18
Worked for 2 colleges [69 words]DougsterApr 25, 2012 10:56
Ms. Warren [82 words]Gary JusseaumeApr 25, 2012 10:45
Ms Warren is unfairly targeted............ [305 words]HarryJApr 26, 2012 03:41
430,000/year salary [31 words]rayApr 25, 2012 10:40
Why does College cost so much? [21 words]JimApr 25, 2012 10:40
Harvard salaries [35 words]RickApr 25, 2012 10:37
It looks like 2.0 years of salary @ $215,000 per year? [135 words]David BarnhizerApr 25, 2012 10:34
What About Obama's bidding? [35 words]DuaneApr 25, 2012 12:25
1 Academic year [56 words]Still to muchApr 26, 2012 15:37
that's 2 years, that's Harvard [37 words]DennisApr 25, 2012 10:30
itis1year [144 words]DGApr 26, 2012 15:17
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Attack on consumer advocate? [178 words]Mark D.Apr 25, 2012 10:26
Salary [24 words]texoilApr 25, 2012 10:23
Harvard Professors are in the hated 1% [127 words]Florida JimApr 25, 2012 10:20
Looks like you do not have any facts and arejust blowing from your tail pipe? [639 words]HarryJApr 26, 2012 04:06
The Ruling Elite. [51 words]Constitution FirstApr 25, 2012 10:15
Not for nuttin'...but [32 words]bobrApr 25, 2012 10:07
2 years [10 words]GuestApr 25, 2012 10:03
Not 2 years [78 words]DGApr 26, 2012 15:30
Huh? [86 words]DemoApr 25, 2012 09:58
If they steal from the poor to gove to the rich.... [15 words]DougsterApr 25, 2012 10:58
Rules [29 words]JW StallingsApr 25, 2012 09:54
$430,000 a year? [17 words]huh?Apr 25, 2012 09:53
math [79 words]Jon CarryApr 25, 2012 09:52
Subsidizing the Rich [70 words]PeterApr 25, 2012 09:51

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