Free Harvard for poor families

[DanielMa]

If you know anyone/family earning less than $40K with a brilliant
child near ready for college, please pass this along. Harvard's Tuition
Announcement Highlights Failure of Prestigious Universities to Enroll
Low-Income Students March 1, 2004: Harvard University announced over the
weekend that from now on undergraduate students from low-income families
will pay no tuition. In making the announcement, Harvard's president
Lawrence H. Summers said, "When only 10 percent of the students in elite
higher education come from families in lower half the income distribution,
we are not doing enough. We are not doing enough in bringing elite higher
education to the lower half of the income distribution."

This initiative puts severe pressure on other well-endowed colleges and
universities to adopt similar measures. Some commentators believe that
Harvard's announcement was made in response to Princeton University's
decision six years ago to eliminate all tuition charges for families
earning less than $40,000 (adjusted annually to take inflation into
account) and its subsequent decision three years later to substitute all
student loans with outright grants.

The Harvard announcement indicates that the Princeton plan has had some
success in drawing to Princeton some of the high-achieving, low-income
students who typically went to Harvard.

[ssvetik]

have you read about test scores of regular Harvard applicant??? You gotta be really brilliant....

[HACOH]

have you read about test scores of regular Harvard applicant??? You gotta be really brilliant....

По моим впечатлениям — как раз наоборот, тесты в Гарварде мало кого интересуют. Правда, я говорю о graduate school of arts and sciences.

[ssvetik]

have you read about test scores of regular Harvard applicant??? You gotta be really brilliant....

По моим впечатлениям — как раз наоборот, тесты в Гарварде мало кого интересуют. Правда, я говорю о graduate school of arts and sciences.

Ну тогда вы наверняка читали последнюю Gazette Там как раз об этом

среди "медалистов" выбирают

[Irina22]

Now, free Harvard for poor families is great news. I am guessing this does not incluse non-citizens or non-gc holders? Does anyone know of any university that has this for their graduate programs, law?
I hear of these success stories every day, kids from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, etc. studying at Yale, Harvard, and Stanford, and I'm thinking how? I've got an American BA, excellent GPA and LSAT, a 4-page resume, and I am pretty sure that any law school will want me, but where do I get the money? Will this be worth all the pain + investing $500 in the application process to receive a "generous" partial scholarship which I will have to reject?
There seem to be ways to get that money but noone's willing to share any information, I guess mystery adds to their geniousness. If there's anyone out there who knows how these people do this, please share!!

Thanks a bunch,

Irina

[aas996]

1. Freedom Support Act (Muskie Stipends) - full tuition + all expenses, but have to return to home country for 2 years
2. Private (i.e non-US govt.) loans guaranteed by the school. Offered by most top MBA programs for all accepted students, regardless of immigration status.
Don't know about law schools.
3. Full scholarships - offered by Tier-II Law schools to few exceptional applicants (accepted to top schools as well). Perhaps may be offered to some aliens, though I guess it would be rare. Not at Harvard/Yale/Stanford, for sure.
4. Personal/corporate/family resources. Frankly, quite a few "Russian" students accepted to top US professional schools have little problem paying full tuition for the whole program in advance (and often bying a nice condo to live in while there on top). It's 2004 not 1991, thanks heavens.
5. One needs to consider who are "Russian/Ukraine" etc. by school statistics. Some schools count by the citizenship. In that case, even GC holders with Russian passport would be filed under "Russians". Others count by GC, but even then many (most?) Russ. students at top programs didn't come directly from Russia. For example, many have worked in the US on H-1B or have an H-4 status.
Finally, some whom I know are helped by US family members.

There all kind of ways. Whoever smart enough to get into Stanford will usually find one.

[DanielMa]

Does anyone know of any university that has this for their graduate programs, law?

There are two types of aid - Need based and Merit based. Need based aid will always be only a small portion of your tuition. Merit based aid can be up to full tuition + stipend.

Harvard, Yale, Stanford law schools only have Need based aid. They may, however, provide some loans from the school for international students (you need to check with them).

Most other Law Schools have some form of Merit aid. If you trully have an excellent GPA and LSAT, you will get a free ride and perhaps a living stipend at a Tier 1 law school. Generally, your legal status is irrelevant for Merit based aid that comes directly from the Law School.

Also, some school have scholarships/fellowships for people who are interested in some specific area (public interest, economic, etc.)

Finally, most international students I know also work as a Research/Teaching Assistant. They get free tition and a pretty decent stipend.

Some examples I know:
A person with 162 LSAT and 3.8 GPA - free ride at U of Florida.
A person with 170 LSAT and 3.9 GPA - free ride at U of Michigan.
A person with 174 LSAT and 3.9 GPA and a huge list of activities - full tuition at Columbia.

[ingo]

DanielMa!
А я к Вам..


Можно с Вами как то связаться?
у меня есть вопросы насчёт поступления..
Your input will be appreciated.
Можете мне на привет написать...

пардон за off-topic

[DanielMa]

DanielMa!
Можно с Вами как то связаться?
пардон за off-topic

У меня личные сообщения не работают. Пишите на skystream на yahoo.com

[ingo]

Thanks!