Harvard will no longer ask parents earning less than $40,000 to contribute to the cost of their child's education, university president Lawrence Summers recently announced.
Dartmouth, however, has no plans yet to change its need-based financial aid system.
Financial aid director Virginia Hazen said Dartmouth's system serves a broader range of students than one that targets only low-income families for scholarships.
"We feel our program is a generous one. It's comprehensive, it's consistent, and we try to ensure that it's equitable," Hazen said.
The change at Harvard comes as the university seeks to attract more low-income applicants. Just 10 percent of students there come from families in the lower half of the nation's income distribution. Summers said that rather than encouraging social mobility, such distinctions at schools like Harvard may inhibit it.
Harvard formerly asked families earning less than $40,000 to contribute an average of $2,300 to their child's tuition costs. Under the new program, family contributions for those earning between $40,000 and $60,000 will also be reduced from $3,500 to $2,250. Students will still be expected to work over the summer and during the school year to contribute to the cost of their tuition.
The new financial aid policy will cost Harvard $2 million next year and will benefit about 1,000 of the university's 6,600 undergraduate students, school officials said.
Hazen suggested that Harvard's decision might be more of a public relations move than a genuine attempt to help a significant number of students.
"I'm not sure we've used financial aid as a marketing tool per se," she said. "We're more concerned in terms of those people we do admit that they can afford to come here. I think that what's really critical is that the aid package is one that makes their attending Dartmouth realistic."
Dartmouth awarded almost $35 million in scholarships and loans last year as part of its need-blind financial aid program, Hazen said.
Other schools have enacted similar new policies. In October, the University of North Carolina instated a new program to provide full aid to students who demonstrate substantial financial need. UNC eliminated loans from those students' financial aid packages. The University of Virginia also recently eliminated loans for students from families whose incomes are up to 150 percent of the poverty line.
But aside from Harvard, no Ivy League school has yet announced plans to make similar changes.
Harvard made its decision, in part, because of the stress low-income students felt to work several jobs to fund the family contribution of their financial aid packages.
Hazen said Dartmouth's financial aid office hears the most complaints from middle-income students about high family contributions.
"I would say we hear that complaint more from middle income students than from lower income students. But that's not saying we don't hear that complaint from lower income students," Hazen said.
According to Hazen, the College continually reviews its financial aid program to ensure it meets student needs.
"We do review our program at least annually to make sure that what we're asking from families is at least realistic, and [the program] continues to be one that ensures equitable treatment for all students," Hazen said.
Dartmouth last expanded its financial aid program in 2001, when it increased financial aid by $1.6 million to reduce loans and work expectations for students receiving aid.
The College also eliminated loans during the first year of enrollment for families earning under $45,000.
