Increase Graduate Aid

Despite its flaws, Harvard’s undergraduate financial aid program is one of the crown jewels of the University. With a need-blind system of admissions and a stated policy of meeting subsequent need through financial aid, the College has committed itself to the goal that no talented student will be turned away from Harvard or will decide against applying because of financial need. Unlike their counterparts at the College, however, many applicants to the graduate schools attend Harvard with their financial needs unmet—a burden made ever heavier by the sizeable tuitions of Harvard graduate schools and the high cost of living in Cambridge. Fortunately, President Lawrence H. Summers has recently pushed to dramatically improve financial aid at the graduate schools. A program of full funding will undoubtedly be expensive and its implementation complex. Still, we applaud Summers for his bold commitment to making financial aid a University-wide priority.

Summers first indicated his plans to improve graduate student aid during his inaugural address. In subsequent speeches and interviews, the president expanded upon his hopes to bring the level of graduate student aid up to par with aid given to undergraduates. The University has begun preliminary studies by compiling data on current aid at the various graduate schools to document the problem of unmet need and to develop a comprehensive plan to address financial need at Harvard.

The need for a comprehensive solution is clear. Recently, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences obtained $4 million in new financial aid funds for next year from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). Unfortunately, this new source of aid for GSAS reveals one major difficulty facing the unified push to expand aid for all graduate schools—namely, that each school draws upon different sources of aid and disburses it in different ways. GSAS, for example, offers a majority of its total aid as grants, while loans make up more than three quarters of aid at the business, law and dental schools. GSAS also provides some scholarships and grants based entirely on merit, a practice which differs from other University graduate schools which look primarily at need.

Furthermore, the financial burdens of graduate students differ significantly from school to school. The John F. Kennedy School of Government, the GSAS, and the Divinity School all share common characteristics of having small classes and demanding a low tuition. Additionally, potential students are often deterred from entering these fields by the fact that their graduates do not traditionally enter high-paying jobs. On the other hand, the Law School and the Medical School have high tuitions with the promise of rewarding salaries after graduation—a situation that creates a significant burden for students who wish to enter lower-paying public service positions and may have difficulty paying off loans.

Though the structure of financial aid programs at the graduate schools may differ, the principle that qualified students should not be prevented from pursuing their education applies equally across the University. Summers has indicated that he is looking for even more permanent sources of funding to improve the aid at all graduate schools. Endowed funding of each school would be extremely expensive and would take many years to complete. As Harvard works toward that goal, it should in the short term advance by small steps and place the available money where it can do the most good.

Summers’ initiative is expected to focus initially on schools where applicants are discouraged by the prospect of an endless burden of debt. Preference for loan-relief would therefore be given to students who enter into public service or other valuable but low-paying professions after graduation. Such an approach would focus aid to certain groups in order to provide the greatest benefit with a limited amount of funds.

We strongly support Summers’ dedication to meeting the financial needs of graduate students, and we hope that the University will succeed in its mission. Throughout America’s history, education has been its great social leveler, and financial aid is necessary if qualified applicants are to be assured an equal opportunity to receive an education or to pursue valuable research. Improved aid programs will allow our best and brightest to devote themselves to serving the public rather than servicing debt. And as more funds become available for this effort, Harvard will also be able attract increasingly talented students to our graduate institutions. Meeting the financial needs of graduate students is an excellent use of Harvard’s resources, and we urge the University to commit itself fully to its president’s initiative.