That’s not accurate for MIT or Harvard, their is no difference for many of their programs between the financial assistance given to domestic and international students.

I was an undergrad at Harvard on an F-1 visa, the financial aid package was blind to residency status. This is unusual - many private schools do discriminate - but not unheard of. Later I looked at grad opportunities at MIT primarily because - unlike many others grad schools - they did fund international students to the same level as domestic.

I took a look, and MIT and Harvard specifically state that their financial aid is independent of domestic vs international status. Thanks for pointing that out!

"However, whether you are a domestic applicant or an international applicant does not impact when or how you apply or the financial aid you are offered. Rather, this page is simply intended to be a helpful resource for people who are less familiar with the American educational system and are trying to figure out how to apply to MIT."

https://mitadmissions.org/apply/firstyear/international/

"Our financial aid policies are the same for all applicants, regardless of nationality or citizenship. All aid is based on financial need, and admissions decisions are made without regard to whether an applicant has applied for financial assistance. Harvard meets each student’s demonstrated need."

https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/international-a...

Good point, I had forgotten about finaid provided "internally" by the university.

Both international and domestic students at these institutions get amazing financial aid.

But at most of these schools (<10 in the US are exceptions) ability to pay can still affect who they choose to admit in the first place internationally. Whereas >100 schools practice need blind admissions for domestic students. That said Harvard/MIT should be no different between the two.