Current Students
Applying for Financial Aid
Once accepted to Harvard University, you must apply for financial aid yearly. The deadline is February 1st, but we recommend using early so that if any issues arise with your application, there is time to correct them before the deadline.
Once you have submitted your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and CSS Profile (CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE), it’s time to complete the IDOC Institutional Documentation of Confirmation Form! The IDOC is an important part of the application process because it allows Harvard University Financial Aid Services staff members to review all of the information about your family income and assets on file with FAFSAsystems (the company used by both federal and private schools) in order make sure that everything matches up correctly with what we already know about you as an applicant or student at our institution.”
Applying for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a form you can complete online at fafsa.gov. Colleges and universities use the FAFSA to determine how much financial aid you are eligible for, so it’s important that you submit your application early enough so that it has time to be processed before the start of classes in September. You can apply later than January 1st if you want. However, remember that doing so may delay any potential aid until after the first semester ends since schools will only know how much money they have available then.
If there are changes in your family’s income during this time–such as increased earnings from work or a change in marital status–you should update those numbers when completing future applications so as not to lose out on any potential grants or scholarship funds due to inaccurate information being reported on previous submissions by either party involved (i.e., student-parent).
Applying For State or Institutional Aid
If you are a student at Harvard and wish to reapply for state or institutional aid, there is a different process than the FAFSA. You must complete a separate application form for details about your family’s income, assets and other personal information.
You can find more information about this application on the Harvard Financial Aid website: https://harvardaid.com/state-aid-application/
The deadline for submitting your State/Institutional Eligibility Worksheet is March 1st of each year (and later if applying late).
Re-Enrollment
If you are returning to school after taking a break, re-enrollment is the process that allows you to reapply for financial aid. You must apply by the deadline and submit all required documents by June 30th each year. To re-enrol, there are some essential things to keep in mind:
- You can only re-enrol for one semester at a time; if you’re applying for Spring 2019 or Summer 2019 (or both), your Fall 2018 enrollment will end once those terms start.*
- Suppose we have already processed your application and awarded aid based on last year’s FAFSA information. In that case, we will automatically update our records with any changes made to this year’s FAFSA form so long as they do not affect eligibility.*
- Suppose we did not award financial aid last year because we needed more information from your high school counsellor or other sources- such as banks or employers – but now all required documentation has been received. In that case, your application will be considered complete and eligible for review.*
Federal Work-Study
If you’re eligible for federal work-study, it’s a great way to earn money as you go through school. Federal Work-Study (FWS) allows students with financial needs to meet the program’s eligibility requirements to earn money while attending classes.
There are two types of FWS: Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). Both programs allow students to earn money while attending school by working on-campus or off-campus jobs.
In 2018-2019, an undergraduate student’s maximum funds from FWS and FSEOG combined were $7,500 annually ($5,750 if enrolled less than full-time). If you have questions about your eligibility or which type would be best for your situation, contact Student Financial Services at 617-496-1300 ext 1
Scholarships and Grants
Scholarships are merit-based, while grants are need-based. Scholarships and grants are different because they come from different sources and serve other purposes.
Grants: These awards help students cover the cost of their education by reducing the money they must borrow for school expenses. You must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify for federal student aid. Grants are awarded based on financial need as determined by your FAFSA results; however, some schools also have their requirements regarding eligibility for their school-specific grants or scholarships. You may be able to receive more than one type of grant during college if your situation changes during enrollment, such as marriage status changes or the birth/adoption of children.
Loans, Loans and More Loans?
If you’re a current student and want to reapply for financial aid, there are three things you’ll need to do:
- Fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This application determines how much money you can get from federal programs like Pell Grants, Perkins Loans and Work-Study jobs. In addition to filling out this form once a year, it’s also important that you update any changes in your family situation (such as income) throughout the year by using IRS Data Retrieval Tool when applying online or contacting your school’s financial aid office if filling out a paper version of your FAFSA form.
- Apply for all other forms of loans available at Harvard University–both federal loans like Stafford Loans or private ones like Sallie Mae loans–if necessary based on what was offered during your initial award notification process last spring semester/summer session when applying as an incoming first-year student through Zinch!.
- Repay any existing balances on these accounts immediately after receiving payment from Harvard University so they don’t accrue interest while awaiting disbursement!
Find out how to reapply for financial aid at Harvard if you have a gap between semesters or were admitted to another school
If you have a gap between semesters or were admitted to another school and are no longer attending Harvard University, you can reapply for financial aid.
- You will need to complete the CSS Profile again. This is the same form used when applying for your first year of college. It asks questions about your family’s finances and assets, including savings accounts and investments outside retirement plans (like IRAs).
- You must also complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA determines eligibility for federal student loans and state grants or scholarships based on income level- not merit, as merit-based scholarships do! So don’t worry about getting rejected from these sources because they’re not based on academic performance like merit awards are; instead, they’re based solely on your ability-to-pay ratio, which is determined by how much money comes into each household per month after taxes have been taken out ($0-$4K/mo = 0%, $4K-$6K/mo = 20%, $6K+/mo = 40%).
Once these two forms have been submitted successfully, then all systems go! Your financial aid package should arrive within two weeks after completing everything correctly.”