An Open Door:Financial Aid at

The Harvard Crimson

The Harvard Crimson 14 Plympton Street

Cambridge, MA 02138

In 1998, The Crimson started off a financial aid program to support edi-tors who would have been forced to limit their time at the paper to

take up a campus job. In just six years, it has proven an outstanding suc-cess, expanding from three initial participants to include 44 students last semester.

One of the core goals of the ongoing capital campaign is to fund a per-manent endowment to ensure the program can comfortably meet the needs of all eligible students in future years. Expanding this program will demonstrate our commitment to all enthusiastic Crimeds who devote themselves to the paper and affirm our dedication to recruiting the most qualified editors regardless of socioeconomic background.

Through these efforts, we will strengthen both the paper and the in-stitution that supports it, drawing a larger staff culled from more diverse backgrounds, and thereby ensuring that The Crimson’s growth remains in step with Harvard’s.

Our goal is a stronger and more diverse Crimson, a newspaper that is open to all who are passionate about that which we do—regardless of other factors. We hope it is one that you share and that you will join us in making this program a success.

Over the years we have received many questions about The Crimson’s financial aid program, as this is one of the more significant changes at the paper in recent years. The purpose of this brochure is to share with you—the alumni community—why this program was started, how it works, and the results we’ve seen.

Financial Aid at The Harvard Crimson

“Our goal is a stronger and more diverse Crimson”

The Crimsons seeks to represent within its walls and within its pages the diversity of the Harvard community. The challenge of doing so

has never been greater, as the makeup of the undergraduate population has undergone unprecedented changes in the past several decades. The Crim-son’s financial aid program is designed to address but one of these changes: the dramatic increase in the number of students on financial aid.

In 1996, The Crimson conducted a comprehensive survey on diversity at the paper. One of the more troubling findings was this: Though nearly three quarters of undergraduate students were on financial aid, only 10 to 15 per-cent of Crimson executives were on financial aid. Upon further study, the root cause of the problem was discovered: editors on financial aid found it difficult to balance the demands of working at The Crimson, studying for school, and keeping a part-time job, a requirement both of the University and the federal government (which funds most financial aid). The Crimson was organized in an era when financial aid—not to mention term-time work requirements—were non-existent. A change was clearly required to keep the paper’s door open to everyone.

The Concern

75% 15%Fast Fact:

In 1996...

of the student body was on financial aid

compared to less than...

of Crimson Executives

compared to less than...

of Crimson Executives

1. Annually Crimson editors interested in joining the program complete a short application and submit it to a Graduate Board member who oversees the program, currently Julian E. Barnes ‘93.

2. Based on criteria set by The Crimson, Harvard’s Financial Aid Office culls the applicant list to de-termine who is eligible for the program. All editors eligible for Federal Work Study will be able to par-ticipate in the aid program. In addition, we provide a limited number of scholarships to editors who are not work-study eligible but have an equivalent level of need.

3. Students on the program work a maximum of 100 paid hours per semester at The Crimson. Most work many more. These students receive regular aid checks to cover their term-time earning re-quirement, freeing them from having to work an on campus job.

4. The President and Board Heads supervise the students on the program to ensure their on-going participation.

5. Each scholarship costs The Crimson approxi-mately $538 a year, while the Federal Government picks up the remainder of the cost. The Crimson covers the full cost of some students who are not eligible for federal aid. In 2003, 44 students were enrolled in the program, costing the paper $23,670 annually.

The Solution

In 1998, The Crimson implemented a financial aid program to address these concerns. The program’s goal is to help students on financial aid

participate in The Crimson by providing hard-working editors on financial aid with a scholarship to cover their term-time earning requirement. Here’s how it works:

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By nearly any measure, the program has been a success. Editors who participate in the

program say it allows them to get more involved in the paper. Crimson editors on the program would work at the paper regardless, and do not view it as a job. According to a survey conducted in June 2004, 84 percent of program participants said the program allows them to spend more time at The Crimson. The average program participant spends 35 hours per week at The Crimson, far more than the required 10 hours per week.

The program has also markedly improved the socioeconomic diversity of the paper’s ranks. Be-fore the program, about 15 percent of editors in a given class received financial aid from the univer-sity. That number now stands at 39 percent.

Moreover, most Crimson editors view the pro-gram favorably. In the same survey, 74 percent of editors said the program improves the perception of The Crimson on campus.

The Results

The Crimson’s financial aid program made it possible for me to be fully involved in what is, I think, the most incredible student organizationn on campus. Without the financial aid program, the need to hold a

term time job simply would have made it impossible for me to devote myself to the newspaper. I am eternally impressed that The Crimson commits itself to ensuring that all students, regardless of their

financial situation, have the opportunity to participate fully, and I am so thankful to have been among those who, as a result of the program, were allowed to make the most out of the Crimson experience.

Michael Nitsch ’03, ASSOCIATE ARTS CHAIR

“If this isn’t incentive enough to people who cannot afford to participate in non-paying extracurricular activities, I don’t know what is.” -Crimson Editor

84% 74%of editors say it improves perception of The Crimson on campus.

participating say it allows them to spend more time at The Crimson.

The Crimson’s financial aid program has been extremely beneficial to me in two ways. First it allowed me to take my involvement with the organization to another level by giving me the ability to donate serious time to creating more efficient solutions to operational problems, instead of being time-pressured for quick fixes. Second, it helped me prioritize my level of commitment by making job offers from similar organizations less attractive. The freedom to pursue extracurricular interests without care for the financial security of a term-time job is a privilege of which I am deeply grateful to both The Harvard Crim son and its Graduate Board for providing.

The Results

Chioma Duru ’03, OPERATIONS MANAGER

The Crimson’s financial aid program made it possible for me to be fully involved in what is, I think, the most incredible student organizationn on campus. Without the financial aid program, the need to hold a

term time job simply would have made it impossible for me to devote myself to the newspaper. I am eternally impressed that The Crimson commits itself to ensuring that all students, regardless of their

financial situation, have the opportunity to participate fully, and I am so thankful to have been among those who, as a result of the program, were allowed to make the most out of the Crimson experience.

Michael Nitsch ’03, ASSOCIATE ARTS CHAIR

“The program is really accessible and helpful.”

- Participant in Financial Aid Program

“Were it not for The Crimson’s financial aid program, I would never have had the time to devote to being an executive--an experi-ence which, three years later, I can say with certainty has profoundly and truly altered my college experience and the course of my life.”

Benjamin Toff ’05, EDITORIAL CO-CHAIR

“I think it’s an excellent idea and I definitely hope it continues. The Crimson is such a huge time commitment, so it’s great to help make it fi-nancially feasible for anyone who wants to do it.”

Imtiyaz Delawala ’03,FORMER PRESIDENT

Participating in The Crimson pro-vided me with experiences and oppor-tunities that I will cherish for the rest of my life. The Crimson’s financial aid program helped make those opportuni-ties possible, allowing me to fully com-mit myself to the organization, and en-suring that my journey there was never a financial burden. I strongly believe that The Crimson should never be open only to those who have the luxuries of time and money. Only through expand-ing and strengthening the financial aid program through the support of alumni will there be fewer limits on who gains the experiences and training that The Crimson provides.

- Current Crimson Editor

In May of 2003, The Crimson announced a $1 million capital campaign to fund two major priorities: the purchase and installation of color press-

es and the partial endowment of the financial aid program. Thanks to the generosity of Crimson alumni across several generations, the campaign has been a phenomenal success. To date, it has raised nearly $850,000.

In December 2003, new color presses were installed at 14 Plympton Street, and today The Crimson is printed in full color five days a week. This color capability has allowed us to expand both our design and publishing capabilities. In total, the project cost $450,000.

The campaign’s other goal is to expand an endowment for the pa-per’s financial aid program. Given the program’s design and the unique educational mission of The Crimson, the Graduate Board felt endowing the program would be an ideal way to reduce the strain on the paper’s operating budget while ensuring the program’s stability. Crimson alumni have charitably agreed, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars towards this goal. Our aspiration is to raise a $500,000 endowment, which will fully cover the cost of 44 scholarships each year.

The Capital Campaign

“Today The Crimson is printed in full color five days a week.”

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$500endows the average Crimed on financial aid for one week

The Bottom Line:

$10,000endows the average Crimed on financial aid for one year

$850,000 $1 mill GOAL

Help Us Reach Our Goal:

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