Financial Aid
How Aid Works
The financial aid application process is essentially the same for all students – regardless of nationality or citizenship. You will be asked to provide information about your family income and assets, outside awards, and any unusual or changed financial circumstances. Once the Harvard College Admissions & Financial Aid Office has reviewed your information and determined your demonstrated need, you will be notified of your award for the coming year. Rest assured that applying for financial aid will in no way jeopardise your chances of admission.
The Admissions Office has two guiding principles:
- Need-blind admissions. Your financial need and your aid application will never affect your chance being admitted to Harvard.
- 100% need-based aid. Financial aid awards are based on need, not on merit. This means that financial aid supports the students who will benefit from it the most. Furthermore, Harvard is committed to meeting 100% of students’ demonstrated financial need for all four years, based on the information submitted on their financial aid applications.
Financial aid officers will work closely with your family to understand your financial position and ensure Harvard is an affordable option for your education.
How financial aid makes Harvard affordable
Families with incomes of under $100,000 per year (c.£75,000) typically pay nothing. All billed expenses – including tuition, food, housing, health insurance and travel costs – are covered. In addition, each student receives a $2,000 start-up grant in their first year, and a further $2,000 grant in their third year to support the transition to work or further education beyond Harvard.
Families with incomes under $200,000 per year (c.£150,000) will typically receive free tuition and additional financial aid to cover billed expenses, depending on their financial circumstances.
All financial aid is in the form of grants, not loans, so you don’t have to pay them back and it is possible for all students to graduate with little or no debt.
The numbers:
- 25% of families pay nothing towards their child’s Harvard education
- 55% of students at Harvard receive financial aid
- $13,000 (c.£9,670) is the average parental contribution per annum
- 100% of students can graduate debt-free
For an estimate of how much aid you might receive, enter your family’s income and assets into Harvard’s net price calculator.
Applying for Financial Aid
Prospective students can find details of how to apply for financial aid on the main Harvard College website.
Deadlines:
For Early Action applicants: submit your financial aid forms by 1st November. If you are admitted, you will receive a financial aid offer in mid-December.
(For an explanation of the meaning of Early Action, or ‘Restrictive Early Action’ as it is called at Harvard, go to the First-Year Applicants page of the main Harvard website).
For Regular Action applicants: submit your financial aid forms by 1st February. If you are admitted, you will receive a financial aid offer in early April.