<p>I take it back! Apparently there are a few students each year who receive scholarships to Harvard that aren’t based on financial need. </p>
<p>Here’s a quote and a link: “Current and newly admitted Harvard students may be nominated for scholarships by their Harvard Financial Aid Offices. Students do not apply directly to CGS for these scholarships. With few exceptions, awards from these funds are based upon financial need. Only those students who meet a fund’s specific eligibility criteria can be nominated to CGS for a scholarship from that fund.”</p>
<p>These scholarships appear to be tied into certain high schools, last names, towns, states, citizenship and ethnicity including some for Asian nationals, Jews and African Americans (interestingly, the scholarship was for graduate work). Here’s an example: "BRIGHT Legacy
Restricted to descendants of Henry Bright, Jr. and Anne Goldstone of Watertown, Massachusetts, who bear the surname Bright. " </p>
<p>Link: <a href=“http://www.scholarship.harvard.edu/rf/rfunds.html[/url]”>http://www.scholarship.harvard.edu/rf/rfunds.html</a></p>
<p>Unfortunately, there’s no info posted, however, that says the scholarship amounts. The students can’t apply for the scholarships. Their names are forwarded by the financial aid office, so there seems to be some possible benefit for applying of financial aid even if one is definitely sure one will not qualify for aid.</p>
<p>What’s really confusing about all of this is that the Harvard undergraduate financial aid page says: “In addition, all of Harvard’s financial aid is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need - there are no academic, athletic or merit-based awards.” <a href=“http://fao.fas.harvard.edu/index.htm[/url]”>http://fao.fas.harvard.edu/index.htm</a></p>