The Financial Aid Office administers several need-based scholarship and low-interest loans. These include: the HMS Scholarship, HMS Revolving Loan, Wolfson Loan, and federal Title VII programs for disadvantaged students. Parent information is required in determining eligibility for these grants and loans.

Applicants who choose not to provide parental information may still be considered for the following government programs: Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, and the Federal Work-Study Program (FWS). While Harvard University participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, students may choose to participate in the Family Federal Education Loan Program (FFELP) in the processing of Stafford and PLUS loans. In addition to the government programs listed here, non-federal private supplementary loan programs are available to all students (domestic and international) to meet any shortfall in funding.