‘I Am Really Sorry’: Khurana Apologizes for International Student Winter Housing Denials

Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana apologized for the confusion and outrage sparked after many international students on financial aid were initially denied winter housing but clarified the reasoning behind the decision in a Monday interview with The Crimson.

“There are a set of guidelines and reasons that are provided for people to apply for that winter housing,” Khurana said during the interview.

“I am really sorry that the language was confusing and that created stress for our students,” he added.

The College Housing Office unexpectedly denied winter housing applications and subsequent appeals from many international students — several of whom said they could not afford to travel home during the break — leaving them scrambling to find last-minute accommodations.

Campus housing during winter recess is typically granted to “international students with demonstrable financial need,” according to the Housing Office’s website.

But this year’s winter housing application included additional criteria that “being an international student on financial aid alone does not automatically meet the criteria for approval; other unique circumstances must be present.”

During the interview, Khurana said the College understands that students may have a demonstrated need for on-campus winter housing, but the University “has very limited services during that period.”

“We also, though, are cognizant that we have minimal staff and minimal services during that time on campus, and because of that, we have to make sure that we’re able to support the students who are here,” Khurana said.

The housing application denials sparked outrage and confusion among students, and many said they appealed the decision to the Housing Office to no avail. More than 280 people signed a petition in the days following, calling on the College to “address Harvard’s winter housing crisis.”

Two days after The Crimson published an article about the decision to deny students winter housing, the College reversed its decision.

In a follow-up email to students, the Housing Office wrote that following “careful consideration, the College Housing Office decided to reconsider your recent application and approved your request for Winter Housing.”

While the Housing Office apologized for “any misunderstanding that may have been caused by the inconsistency in language we used around the criteria in making these decisions,” it did not specify why the students’ applications and appeals were previously denied and why the decision had been reversed.

—Staff writer Michelle N. Amponsah can be reached at michelle.amponsah@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @mnamponsah.

—Staff writer Joyce E. Kim can be reached at joyce.kim@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @joycekim324.