Financial Aid, Fellowships, and Prizes 

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Graduate School tries to ensure that all students will have sufficient resources from Harvard or other sources to support them while they work toward their degrees. Awards include support for tuition, fees, and living expenses in the form of grants, loans, teaching fellowships, research assistantships, and work-study jobs and are based on merit as well as need-related considerations. Approximately ninety-five percent of all graduate students receive financial support from Harvard or other sources.

The Financial Aid office staff provides information and counseling regarding costs and potential resources. Students are urged to consult the financial aid officer for their department.

Entering students apply for financial aid by filing the appropriate financial aid application included with the admissions application. Continuing students apply for aid by completing the GSAS financial aid application, due January 3, 2008.

First- and second-year students may receive grants to cover living expenses as well as tuition and fees. Ordinarily, students in the third and fourth years receive a fellowship that pays for tuition with living expense costs provided by teaching, research, or loans. Students must be making satisfactory progress, as defined by the academic department, to receive financial aid.

DIRECTOR OF FELLOWSHIPS

See Chapter XI, Director of Fellowships.

TEACHING FELLOWSHIPS

Teaching fellows teach part-time as part of their training toward the PhD or, exceptionally, toward a master’s degree. They ordinarily must be registered as full-time resident students and making satisfactory progress toward their degree. They are charged the appropriate resident tuition.

Relevant teaching experience is an integral part of graduate student education. Such teaching is supervised and regularly evaluated by the faculty. Care is taken to ensure that teaching does not unduly impede a candidate’s progress toward the degree. In addition, the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning offers valuable teacher training.

Graduate students are normally given the opportunity to teach at least sixteen term-fifths during their degree programs. First-year students are ordinarily not eligible for teaching appointments. Second-year graduate students who teach are limited to one third TIME per term, or, if teaching two sections in the same course or two tutorials where no additional preparation for the second assignment is required, a maximum of two-fifths TIME.

After the completion of the department PhD qualifying examinations, students may teach an average of three-fifths per year. No student may hold more than a four-fifths TIME appointment in any one term. Anyone teaching more than six-fifths in an academic year is not eligible to be a teaching fellow and must instead be a teaching assistant and must register on leave of absence rather than in residence. The 2007–2008 teaching fellow salaries are prorated based on an annual full time senior rate of $45,600 base (2/5 for the year, $18,240) for those who have completed their academic residence requirements, and an annual full-time junior rate of $40,000 base (2/5 for the year, $16,000) for those in the first two years of graduate study. As a general rule, teaching fellows should expect to spend roughly ten hours a week in teaching, preparation, correction of class work, and counseling for every 1/5 fraction assigned, although first time teaching may require more time.

Each department has its own procedures for appointing teaching fellows, but all are expected to post  their available positions each year. Students apply for consideration by submitting a written request to the appropriate department officer, course head, or, in the case of Core courses, the director of the Core Program.

International students should be aware that immigration regulations limit their employment, including Teaching Fellowships and Research Assistantships, to 20 hours per week while school is in session. Ordinarily, this is equivalent to a half-time (50 percent) appointment. International students in departments that require teaching for the degree should consult with the Harvard International Office about the possibility of working under Curricular Practical Training.

For more information students should refer to the Teaching Fellows Handbook. Copies of the Teaching Fellows Handbook can be found at the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Holyoke Center 350, or on the Web. To request a copy by phone, call 617-495-5396.

REGULATIONS REGARDING EMPLOYMENT

Students considering outside employment are invited to discuss their plans with a financial aid officer. Because any change in resources may affect eligibility, all students receiving financial aid are required to inform their financial aid officer before undertaking any employment. To maintain full-time student status during the academic year, on-campus employment is limited to twenty hours per week. Students from other countries, or their spouses, entering the United States on temporary non-immigrant visas should fully understand the regulations concerning permissible employment under those visas. Before making plans for employment in the United States, they should consult with the Harvard International Office, 864 Holyoke Center, on eligibility for such employment. Visit the Website at www.hio.harvard.edu.

PRIZES

Prize Office
University Hall, Ground Floor, 617-495-4780
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The awarding of prizes at Harvard can be traced back to Edward Hopkins, a London merchant who came to America in 1637. His bequest continues to provide prizes for “Hopefull youth in the way of Learning …for the publick Service of the Country in future times.”

Today, over 200 different prizes are awarded each year in recognition of academic excellence, achievement in a particular field, or outstanding individual qualities. The Bowdoin Prizes, established by the bequest of Governor James Bowdoin, AB 1745, are among many noteworthy prizes for which students submit essays, theses, or other scholarly works.

Prize descriptions, eligibility requirements, submission deadlines, and lists of past winners may be found online. Further information is available from the Prize Office on the ground floor of University Hall (617-495-4780 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Information on all athletic prizes may be obtained from the Department of Athletics.