Harvard College tuition will rise 3.5 percent for the 2009-2010 school year—a substantial real increase in light of nearly zero inflation last year.

The increase to $33,696—announced by Harvard yesterday—mirrors a 3.5 percent tuition hike for the previous year, but that rise had little effect on the real price of tuition because it coincided with higher inflation.

The total tuition package including room and board will reach $48,868 from this year’s $47,215. Financial aid assistance is expected to increase 18 percent from $125 million in total financial aid output in 2008-2009 to a record $147 million in 2009-2010.

The projected expansion in financial aid is a response to both a five percent increase in the number of financial aid applicants in the class of 2013 and the likely greater need of current Harvard students affected by the economic downturn, said Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67. This year, 78 percent of applicants to the class of 2013 applied for financial aid.

“It was only a few years ago that fewer than 50 percent of students were on grant aid,” Fitzsimmons said, “This year almost 60 percent of the current class is on some form of grant aid… given unprecedented economic challenges we could have an even higher percent [of the class of 2013] on financial aid.”

The expansion will increase the average financial aid package from around $38,500 to over $41,000.

The Financial Aid Office is anticipating the same amount of funding from the endowment next year as they did for the 2008-2009 school year, said Fitzsimmons.

The increase will come from unrestricted gifts to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

FAS Dean Michael D. Smith has pledged to make up any shortfall resulting from potentially reduced endowment income, Fitzsimmons said.

“Harvard’s commitment to stand firm on financial aid has been an enormous help in attracting applicants this year,” Fitzsimmons said. “Financial aid is never more important than when times are tough.”

Fitzsimmons said that he believes President Faust and Dean Smith’s firm commitment to financial aid will benefit this year’s yield and attract strong applicant pools in the years ahead, regardless of the tuition increase.

Several other Ivy League schools recently announced increases in tuition. Cornell’s and Dartmouth’s tuition will rise by 4.9 and 4.8 percent respectively. Princeton’s will increase by 2.9 percent.

Yale has not yet approved a final decision on tuition, but will likely increase it as well, according to the Yale Daily News, which reported that Yale will try to keep admission affordable during this time of economic trouble.

—Staff writer Jillian K. Kushner can be reached at kushner@fas.harvard.edu