Harvard collaborates with national nonprofit to recruit exceptional low-income students

Harvard University has revealed a fresh collaboration with QuestBridge, a national nonprofit initiative that links high-achieving individuals from low-income backgrounds with top-tier liberal arts colleges and research universities, guaranteeing full financial aid for four years. According to Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William Fitzsimmons, this new initiative will enhance Harvard Admissions’ outreach to recruit the finest students from a wide array of backgrounds and experiences.

“The Harvard College Office of Admissions and Financial Aid is dedicated to attracting the most promising students to Harvard from all socioeconomic levels. We are thrilled to collaborate with QuestBridge,” stated Fitzsimmons. “We anticipate working together to draw the nation’s top students from low-income backgrounds and bolstering our initiatives to provide educational opportunities to talented individuals everywhere.”

Starting this fall, Harvard will participate in the QuestBridge National College Match program, which is a college and scholarship application process that pairs QuestBridge’s finalist students with admission and four-year scholarships to its partner institutions. Finalists can designate up to 15 partner colleges during the matching process and generally receive matching results in early December. Those finalists who do not match with any schools may subsequently apply to any college or university through their regular-decision processes. Harvard’s inaugural QuestBridge Scholars will enroll in fall 2026.

“QuestBridge has developed an appealing program for exceptional high school students from under-resourced families to navigate the application process at numerous prestigious colleges. By aligning with QuestBridge, we hope to create another enticing opportunity for considering Harvard,” explained Director of Admissions Joy St. John.

“Harvard’s excellent financial aid allows any gifted student to attend, if accepted, and our collaboration with QuestBridge considerably amplifies our outreach nationwide,” remarked Jake Kaufmann, Griffin Director of Financial Aid.

“We are excited that Harvard College has joined the QuestBridge alliance. A campus devoted to the virtues of a liberal arts and sciences education that aims to nurture citizen-leaders is a superb place for our scholars to find a home,” commented Ana Rowena Mallari, co-founder and CEO of QuestBridge. 

For additional details on how Harvard collaborates with QuestBridge, visit our Admissions page.