External Scholarship Resources

This page contains information on where & how to look for external scholarships to help fund your Harvard Chan education.

The External Funding Database is an interactive tool managed by the Office of Financial Aid to assist current and prospective students in finding sources of outside scholarships and other funding.
The Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health has information and links to more search engines for scholarships.
The Community of Science Pivot tool is another database that may be useful for students, especially those pursuing a scientific degree.
Sallie Mae has put together a graduate student specific scholarship search engine, ProFellow is a database for academic fellowships, and FastWeb is another tool to find scholarships.
For international students, eduPASS, IEFA, and IIE are all good resources.

Many community organizations, scholarship search engines, and libraries also have information on external funding opportunities which students are encouraged to utilize. The Boston Public Library has a resource center that prospective students who live locally should visit.

Former Harvard Chan Student’s Scholarship Search Tips

Get Organized!

Keep an excel spreadsheet that lists the name, contact, and relevant deadlines for each scholarship, as well as a chart that indicates the status of your transcripts, recommendations, essays, and other requested materials.

Take note of “postmark” versus “in-office” deadlines. Some scholarship organizations require that the materials be received in the office by a certain date, so be sure to send your application in a timely manner.

Think Locally.

Many people only consider national awards, but there may be scholarships available from organizations in your state or community. This can include fraternities and sororities, local Elk’s Clubs, and other service organizations.

Every little bit helps.

Many students often apply for large scholarship awards – which makes these types of scholarships very competitive. Consider applying for smaller scholarship awards, which tend to be less competitive, and are also less likely to use strict cutoffs for grades and test scores.

Let people know you are applying

Someone may be aware of a scholarship opportunity that is perfect for you, but you won’t know unless you ask!

Always have a resume ready to go!

You never know when you may come across a scholarship opportunity – so you must always be prepared. Have a trusted friend or mentor read over your resume, or use your school’s local career services center for feedback.

Not just a resume, but transcripts too.

As you start applying for scholarships, request several copies of sealed, official transcripts from all of the institutions that you have previously attended to be sent to you. Many scholarships request this information, and it is better to have it on hand than to have to wait several weeks for your university to send this information.

Spellchecker is never enough.

Most people know the importance of ensuring that your application is free from spelling and grammatical errors, but even your computer spellchecker can miss mistakes. Always have someone read over your materials to ensure that it looks professional.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Most scholarships will ask for a statement that explains your future career goals. Thus, even before you apply, take the time to create an essay that highlights your background, achievements, and future aspirations.

Make it easy for others to help you.

When you ask for letters of recommendation, always provide a resume, most recent transcript, and a brief statement of your career goals. You can also provide an addressed, stamped envelope for your recommenders as well.

Give Thanks.

Once you receive a scholarship, be sure to send a thank you note or email to the scholarship committee, as well as to your recommenders for taking the time to write a letter on your behalf.