Harvard University is facing backlash on Twitter for keeping its annual tuition prices of $49,653 per year despite the Ivy League institution's decision to continue with online coursework for the 2020-2021 academic year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
One user called the decision "highway robbery" while another accused the college of suckering customers into paying for "the world's most expensive MOOC," or massive open online course.
WHICH UNIVERSITIES WILL BE ONLINE IN THE FALL?
Others pointed out that there are cheaper learning options than paying for Harvard's tuition.
"You can audit most of the courses you need for any Harvard undergrad for free online and not get yourself $50k in debt PER YEAR," one user wrote, while another said, "Maybe kids should just listen to podcasts, watch YouTube, and read books instead."
Another user said, "for $49K you put a down payment on a $360,000 home with money left over. For the $200K of that 4 year degree you can buy a $1M rental property that becomes your cash engine for life. For a fraction of any of this you can start a business than within 4 years earns $100K/year."
PRESTIGIOUS WILLIAMS COLLEGE TO CUT TUITION, REQUIRE CORONAVIRUS TESTS FOR FALL REOPENING
According to the university's announcement, up to 40 percent of undergraduate students will be welcomed to campus for the fall semester, including first-year students and those who need to be on campus to learn.
Citing the recent surge in coronavirus cases, Harvard said that all students, including those on campus, will continue with online instruction to mitigate the virus' spread.
“Harvard was built for connection, not isolation. Without a vaccine or effective clinical treatments for the virus, we know that no choice that reopens the campus is without risk,” Harvard Presiden Larry Bacow and deans Claudine Gay and Rakesh Khurana wrote in the joint statement. “That said, we have worked closely with leading epidemiologists and medical experts to define an approach that we believe will protect the health and safety of our community, while also protecting our academic enterprise and providing students with the conditions they need to be successful academically.”
While freshmen will live on campus, sophomores, juniors and seniors will remain off campus for the fall semester.
"Choosing which students would be invited to campus was not easy, and we have enormous sympathy for sophomores and juniors as they consider the prospect of not starting their fall term in Cambridge," the statement added. "We could not help but recognize the unique position that first-year students find themselves in, making the transition to college in these strange times. They have not yet begun to build their Harvard network of faculty, advisors, and friends or learn about life in the Yard. Even with the many adaptations that will be in place this fall, we see enormous value in having them on campus in our residential system."