Freshman Expected in Cambridge this Fall
Harvard announces its plans for 2020-21.
Of all the disruptions this year, education has been one of the hardest to tackle. Harvard made its plans known on July 6: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/7/6/harvard-college-coronavirus-fall-plans/. Key points copied from the Crimson:
“Harvard said Monday that it will open its dorms to the Class of 2024 this fall, asking sophomores, juniors, and seniors to seek approval to return. In addition to freshmen, Harvard will host as many students who “must be on campus to progress academically” this fall as it can without exceeding the 40 percent [safe occupancy] threshold. All courses will be taught virtually for students both on and off campus.
The College will not change its tuition fees though enrolled students living off-campus will not pay for room and board. For students on financial aid, the College’s Financial Aid Office will calculate their aid award with a “COVID-19 Remote Room and Board” allowance of $5,000 per semester. The College will also relieve them of their term-time work expectation this fall. Harvard will offer students who study remotely for the full academic year the opportunity to return to campus during summer 2021 to take two tuition-free courses at Harvard Summer School.”
Our peer institutions are taking different paths: “…the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University both announced they plan to reopen most residence halls and modify their schedules, whereas MIT and Yale University said at most 60 percent of the school’s undergraduates will return to campus."