The mission of the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) is to help students meet their goals by reducing financial barriers to education and promoting financial health. The Office of Financial Aid is dedicated to providing high-quality, equitable, and compassionate service to our diverse community. In delivering our services, we counsel applicants, students, and alumni to make well-informed decisions while being responsible stewards of internal and external resources in compliance with regulatory requirements and institutional policy.
Scholarships/Grants
Students are encouraged to explore all avenues of funding opportunities. In addition to reviewing internal scholarship opportunities within the school and university, the Office of Financial Aid manages and updates our external resource database. Our OFA Fund Finder not only allows you to search for external opportunities but also is interactive, allowing students, faculty, and staff to submit outside resources of which they are aware.
Student Loans
The Harvard Chan Office of Financial Aid determines eligibility for and administration of federal and private student loan programs, which make up the majority of aid available. As such, debt management counseling is considered an important service in OFA. Individual exit counseling is offered to graduating students, as well as individual personal finance appointments and financial wellness programming throughout their time as a student.
U.S. Military Benefits
For students with U.S. military benefits, including VA benefits, there is information on the website on next steps to ensure these benefits are applied to the student account. Additionally, Harvard Chan does offer a match through the Yellow Ribbon program (up to $10,000) for those that are eligible.
Third-Party Contracts
Students that are receiving sponsorship from their employer or another agency or organization may need to set up a Third-Party Contract. Third-Party Contracts give Harvard University permission to send an invoice directly to an outside agency on behalf of a student.
Student Employment
Many students work part time while completing their degree, and many domestic students are eligible for Federal Work-Study, a federal financial aid program in which the US government subsidizes the students’ earnings. Federal Work-Study also can help students secure on-campus employment, as well as off-campus employment at times. More information on student employment opportunities, please visit our website, for both international and domestic students.
More information about financial aid support and services can be found on the Office of Financial Aid website.
