Yesterday, Harvard University announced it will now offer free tuition to students whose families make $200,000 or less per year.
But Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders doesn’t think that goes far enough, saying more schools need to follow Harvard’s move — and then some.
“10 years ago, when I introduced a bill to make public colleges & universities tuition-free, it was called ‘radical.’ Not today. Over 100 colleges & universities now offer free tuition to working-class students,” Sanders wrote in a post on X.
10 years ago, when I introduced a bill to make public colleges & universities tuition free, it was called "radical." Not today. Over 100 colleges & universities now offer free tuition to working class students.
Now, we must expand that idea to all public colleges & universities. pic.twitter.com/iraBx91wbu
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) March 17, 2025
“Now, we must expand that idea to all public colleges & universities.”
Sanders has long been a proponent of free higher education, along with free health care.
Yesterday’s news from Harvard, which the average annual tuition for a Harvard student is $56,550, but with room, board and health services it comes out to about $83,000, is re-opening the debate about free college education.
“Putting Harvard within financial reach for more individuals widens the array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that all of our students encounter, fostering their intellectual and personal growth,” Harvard President Alan M. Garber said in a statement on Monday.
“By bringing people of outstanding promise together to learn with and from one another, we truly realize the tremendous potential of the University.”
The Ivy League school added that students of families making $100,000 or less per year would qualify for free housing, food, and health services in addition to tuition being covered by the school.
The school also added that this move was to “ensure that admitted students can afford their Harvard education.”
“Our goal is to bring the most promising students to Harvard—period,” the statement read on the school’s website.
“We know that paying for college is a big concern for many families, and we’re committed to making a Harvard education – and the opportunities that come with it – possible for more students than ever.”
The expanded program would allow approximately 86% of families in the United States to qualify for Harvard College’s financial aid, the school announced, adding that it extended “its commitment to provide every admitted undergraduate student the resources they need to enroll and graduate.”