The university said it would replace all loans with grants and spend up to $22 million more annually on aid, mostly targeting middle- and upper-middle-class students. Families earning under $60,000 already pay nothing to attend the world's richest university, with an endowment of nearly $35 billion.

Now, however, parents earning between $60,000 and $120,000 will pay a percentage of their income, rising to 10 percent. Families with incomes between $120,000 and $180,000 will have to pay 10 percent of their incomes.

Harvard also said it would take home equity out of its wealth calculation in financial aid, which should provide a greater boost for students and parents. Overall, Harvard said a typical family earning $120,000 would pay about $12,000 next year, down from $19,000 under current award policies. For a typical family earning $180,000, the bill would drop to $18,000, from more than $30,000.

About half of Harvard’s students receive some form of aid, including students from about 100 families who earn more than $200,000.

For those who pay full tuition, room and board, the price is $45,620.

University officials said their surveys showed that even students from well-off families were feeling the pinch by having to work outside jobs and not being able to fully engage in university life. Harvard officials were also worried prospective applicants were scared away by the school's cost.

Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust said the money would come from funds from a variety of sources, including the strong returns on Harvard's endowment.

--Associated Press

Stanford Faculty, Students Upset About Potential Loss of East Asian Library Collection

Stanford University’s historic East Asian collection needs a new home, and faculty and students are upset that the new home may be a storage facility 38 miles away, The San Jose Mercury News reported.