Special Students: FAQ
Special Students: FAQ
Do Special Student applicants need to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)?
The GRE is not a required component of the application for Special Student status.
Do Special Students have access to Harvard-administered financial aid programs?
Financial Aid through Harvard University or the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (including scholarships, work-study, and loans) is not available to non-degree seeking students.
Non-degree seeking students who are U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents are eligible for CitiBank CitiAssist Loans. Non-U.S. Citizens with a co-signer who is a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident are also eligible. Applications are available by calling 1-800-745-5473 or online.
Remember that it takes several weeks to process a loan, and that students taking out such loans may not register until the funds have been applied to your termbill.
Are Special Students eligible for Federal Student Aid?
No. To receive federal aid you must be enrolled, or planning to enroll, in a degree program of organized instruction that leads to an academic, professional, or vocational degree or certificate.
Can Special Students take coursework over the summer?
No. Special Students are not permitted to register under Special Student status for coursework during the summer. Students may register for summer courses only through the Harvard Summer School (51 Brattle Street, 617-495-4024).
Does the Special Students and Visiting Fellows Office assist in locating housing in Cambridge?
It is each Special Student’s responsibility to find housing appropriate to his or her needs. Special Students enrolled full time in Graduate School of Arts and Science coursework are eligible to apply for dormitory housing at the Cronkhite Graduate Center or in the GSAS dormitories; however, please note that campus housing is very limited. Married couples and family members cannot be accommodated in the Cronkhite Center or in the GSAS residence halls.
Housing applications may be submitted only after academic admission. Additional information is available on the GSAS Housing website.
Does the Special Student status offer a pre-med program?
Students seeking premedical courses should note that the Special Student/Visiting Fellow Office is unable to provide its own premedical advising program. Premedical students must rely on their undergraduate schools for career counseling and placement services.
Does Harvard provide health insurance?
Every registered Special Student is automatically enrolled in the Harvard University Student Health Plan (HUSHP), which the University offers through the insurance provider Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Massachusetts. There is also a required Harvard University Health Services fee paid each term that allows any student to take advantage of Harvard University Health Services walk-in clinic. If a Special Student provides documentation establishing that he or she has comparable insurance that meets pre-determined Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Harvard University Health Services standards, HUSHP coverage and the associated fee may be waived. If a student is registering for only one course, they are eligible to apply to have both fees waived.
To learn more about waiving health insurance coverage visit the HUHS website.
Do Special Students need immunizations?
Compliance with Massachusetts Immunization Law is an enrollment requirement for all Harvard University students. In order to register for courses, students must provide a complete immunization history in advance of the deadlines prior to enrollment shown on the HUHS website. Students are encouraged to review the requirements promptly to allow time to obtain and submit documentation.
By state law, students enrolling full-time in Massachusetts colleges and universities will ordinarily be required to provide proof of immunization against measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, Hepatitis B, and ameningcococcal (or submit a waiver for the ameningcocccal). Proof of immunizations is compulsory prior to registration.
What is the best way to contact the Special Students and Visiting Fellows Office?
The office is open from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. The best time to contact the Special Students and Visiting Fellows Office is between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm.
Special Students and Visiting Fellows Office
Holyoke Center, 3rd Floor
1350 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 617-495-5392
Fax: 617-496-5333
E-mail:
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