Stanford University today announced a big boost in financial aid that would give free tuition to most undergraduates from families that earn less than $100,000 a year and a complete package of tuition, room and board to those whose household incomes are less than $60,000.

Stanford joins a string of wealthy, elite schools, including Harvard University, Yale University and Pomona College in Claremont, that have taken similar steps in the last few months to help middle-class families pay for college.

Such schools in the top level of American universities have been under congressional pressure to spend more of their multibillion-dollar endowments on scholarships and to take other steps to reduce expenses for students.

Stanford President John L. Hennessy said the move was intended to ensure that no high school senior rules out applying to the university because of cost.

Next year's tuition at Stanford is set to be $36,030 and room and board $11,182.

larry.gordon@latimes.com