Financing Graduate Study

The booklet, Financing Graduate Study (PDF), explains the policies and procedures that govern financial aid in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. It describes resources available from Harvard as well as federal and private fellowship and loan programs.

The decision to pursue graduate study represents a significant academic and financial commitment. These pages are prepared to assist students in the financial planning essential for a successful graduate career.

Aid Application Process For Prospective Students 

Most applicants for admission are asked to file the Statement of Financial Resources for Graduate Study. Graduate School resources are not sufficient to support all degree candidates. This information helps ensure that each applicant has planned for the financing of their graduate education. The following departments do not require financial information:

  • Astronomy
  • Biology,Medical Sciences
  • Biology,Molecular and Cellular
  • Biological Sciences in DentalMedicine
  • Biological Sciences in PublicHealth
  • Biostatistics
  • Business Economics
  • Chemistry and Chemical Biology
  • Chemical Physics
  • Earth and Planetary Science
  • Engineering and Applied Sciences (PhD only)
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Physics
  • Science,Technology andManagement
  • Systems Biology

 

In the case of need-based aid, the Admissions and Financial Aid Office uses this information to determine the ability of applicants to financially support themselves for the first two years of graduate study. The calculated personal/family contribution is subtracted from the standard budget to determine the Harvard grant recommendation.

Based on this analysis, a recommendation for grant support is provided to the department to which the applicant has applied. Grant recommendations vary but ordinarily do not exceed tuition plus $21,830 in stipend support (2008–2009 rates). The grant may not fall below the minimum aid recommendation given by the Admissions and Financial Aid Office. In some instances, a teaching fellowship or research assistantship may be offered to partially meet the recommendation. Teaching fellowships and research fellowships may also be substituted for stipend support during the second year.

If a multi-year offer of financial support is made, the offer is usually renewed provided the student maintains satisfactory academic progress. Students are required to file a financial aid application each year even if they received a multi-year guarantee of support.

After the first two years of graduate study, students can expect to be able to meet their living expenses through a combination of teaching fellowships, research assistantships, and grants. Opportunities to teach and participate in research provide both significant financial support and valuable experience. An average teaching fellowship annual salary pays $21,830 (2008–2009 rates).

Tuition and fee charges drop from $35,386 in the first two years, to $11,294 in the third and fourth years, and $4,984 in the fifth year and beyond (2008–2009 rates).

Students may want to supplement University aid with need-based financial assistance such as loans and/or work-study employment. All students interested in applying for this type of assistance must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which may be obtained by contacting the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4FEDAID. The FAFSA is also available on the Web.

Students who are married as of the date of filing the FAFSA should complete questions concerning their spouses. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office for information on the additional materials required to complete their application.

Aid Application Process For Continuing Students

Financial Aid Applications for the next academic year are mailed to all registered and eligible students in late November. Any eligible student who wishes to be considered for financial assistance should complete this form and return it to the Admissions and Financial Aid Office by January 5, 2009. Applications are not sent to those students who are admitted with the understanding that they would receive no financial support for their first two years or to those students who have passed their departmental funding limit (see page 6). In addition to the 2009–2010 application, students applying for need-based aid in their third year and beyond should submit a copy of their signed Federal 1040 income tax form along with all attendant schedules and forms (W-2s, 1099s, etc.) for the previous year. Married students whose spouse files separately should also send a copy of their spouse’s tax return and attendant forms.

A second year graduate student will ordinarily receive the same level of support as awarded upon admission, with adjustments made for cost of living increases, based on the information provided on the Financial Aid Application.

A need-based award to a third-year or more advanced student is based on the student’s (and spouse’s, if married) personal financial situation, unless stated otherwise in the original notice of financial support. During the third and subsequent years, most grants are limited to tuition and health fee coverage up to the departmental funding limit. Teaching fellowships, outside employment, and/or loans provide for living expense support in most cases.
 
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