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Financial Aid Office |
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[Financial Aid Home] [Program Overview] [Forms and Calendar] [FAQs] [Publications] [Links] |
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The purpose of the financial aid program is to enable any admitted student to attend Harvard Medical School by assisting the student to meet the shortfall of funds after the student and his/her family have made their maximum financial effort. Students, with the help of their families, have the primary responsibility for financing their medical education to the fullest extent of their ability. Academic merit is not a consideration in the distribution of aid at HMS. Harvard Medical School administered need-based financial assistance for approximately 67% of enrolled medical students in the 2002-03 academic year. Harvard Medical School does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, or physical handicap when administering financial assistance to students. In evaluating applicants for admission, the Committee on Admission selects candidates without regard to the candidate's ability to pay for medical school. In order to receive funds from federal loan programs, a student must be enrolled at least half-time. Virtually all HMS students are registered as full-time degree candidates; should a student's enrollment drop to less than full-time (a rare occurrence), s/he must notify the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible so that any necessary revisions can be made to the financial aid award. Federal regualtions mandate that when changes to enrollment status necessitate adjustments to federal loans, the adjustment must be made within thrty days of the date of the status change. It is essential that whenever possible the Financial Aid Office be notified of enrollment status changes before they go into effect. Satisfactory Academic Progress Federal regulations require that federal aid recipients be making satisfactory progress in their degree programs. The conditions for satisfactory progress to the M.D. degree are detailed in the Harvard Medical School Student Handbook. If at any time a student feels that his/her financial aid may be in jeopardy because of this requirement, s/he is urged to seek the advice of a Financial Aid Officer before aid is withdrawn. The financial aid staff will help to work out a substitute financial arrangement whenever possible. Once the student resumes making satisfactory academic progress, s/he is again eligible for federal financial aid. Citizenship Status and the Federal Financial Aid Programs A student’s citizenship status must fall into one of the following categories in order to receive federal student aid from the U.S. government:
If an applicant has only a Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence (I-171 or I-464A) s/he is not eligible for federal student aid. Since federal financial aid programs require that the recipient be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, the programs used to fund international student financial aid awards come from private and institutional sources. International students fill out the standard financial aid application materials and receive financial aid awards that are comparable to those offered to US citizens and permanent residents. A supplemental loan program, the Harvard-Citibank Education Loan Program (HELP) is also available to international students who are interested in borrowing to finance the calculated family contribution. More details about the HELP program are given in the Financial Aid Resources section of this guidebook. In order to receive the necessary visa documents to study in the U.S., international students must demonstrate that they have the resources necessary to meet the expenses outlined in the student expense budget described later in this guidebook. Financial aid awards and HELP loans may be included as resources for this purpose. Resources of Interest to International Students The International Education Financial Aid Organization <http://www.iefa.org> provides a free searchable database of scholarships and awards as well as a number of other resources of relevance to international students. Canadian students are especially encouraged to apply to their provincial governments for assistance. Although students in the integrated M.D./M.P.H. program apply to both HMS and HSPH for admission, these students remain financial aid clients of the Harvard Medical School Financial Aid Office for the duration of their enrollment at HMS and HSPH and follow the same financial aid application guidelines as other HMS students. Students interested in joint degree programs other than the M.D./M.P.H. must apply to their non-M.D. school or program for financial aid to cover any non-M.D. periods of enrollment. While joint degree students are simultaneously enrolled at both schools, each year the school of primary enrollment levies the tuition charge and provides financial aid services and funding according to its own policies and practices. It is the student's responsibility to investigate early the financial aid deadlines, requirements, and practices of the non-M.D. school. Some schools operate on a rolling basis for awarding funds; at such schools, it is possible to meet the school's admissions application deadline but to be denied financial support because all of the available funds have been distributed. Students interested in joint degree programs are urged to make their academic plans early, and no later than the January before the anticipated start date at the non-M.D. school. |
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[Financial Aid Home] [Program Overview] [Forms and Calendar] [FAQs] [Publications] [Links] |