Financial Aid Consumer Information

Financial Aid Consumer Information for Master's Students

In compliance with Federal student aid regulations, the following consumer information is provided to current and prospective students.

Eligibility Requirements

The goal of the Harvard Medical School (HMS) financial aid program is to help students find the financial resources necessary to attend HMS. Student loans are available to help meet education expenses. US citizens and permanent residents are eligible for student loans from the federal government and/or “supplemental” loans, which are educational loans from private sources.

International students are not eligible for US government loans, but they may be eligible for certain private loans with a US co-signer.

Students in the Master’s degree programs may be eligible for institutional aid through the HMS Financial Aid Office or the Committee on General Scholarships (university-wide restricted fund).

Nondiscrimination

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.

Enrollment Status

In order to receive funds from federal loan programs, a student must be enrolled at least half time. Master’s candidates may be enrolled in full or half time programs. Should a student's enrollment drop to less than half time, the student must notify the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible so that any necessary revisions can be made to the financial aid award. Federal regulations mandate that when changes to enrollment status necessitate adjustments to federal loans, the adjustments must be made within forty-five 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 make satisfactory progress in their degree programs. The conditions for satisfactory progress are detailed in Section 2.16 of the Master’s Student Handbook. If at any time a student feels that their financial aid may be in jeopardy because of this requirement, they are urged to seek the advice of a Financial Aid Officer before aid has to be withdrawn. The financial aid staff will work to identify a substitute financial arrangement whenever possible. Once the student resumes making satisfactory academic progress, they are 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 to receive federal student aid from the US government:

  • US Citizen
  • US National (includes natives of American Samoa or Swain's Island)
  • US permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551, or I-551C (Alien Registration Card)
  • Foreign national holding an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the US Immigration and Naturalization Service showing one of the following designations:
    • Refugee
    • Asylum Granted
    • Indefinite Parolee
    • Humanitarian Parolee
    • Cuban-Haitian Entrant (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980)
    • Other eligible non-citizen with a Temporary Resident Card (I-688)
    • Foreign national with a suspension of deportation case pending before Congress

If an applicant has only a Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence (I-171 or I-464A), they are not eligible for federal student aid.

International and DACA-Eligible Students

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 or programs used to fund international or DACA-eligible Master’s student financial aid awards are derived from private sources only. A variety of private loan options are available to international DACA-eligible Master’s students with options to borrow with or without a US co-signer. To learn more about the Harvard Private Loan options, please see Find a Private Loan. Students inquiring about these programs should contact the Financial Aid Office for additional information.

In order to receive the necessary visa documents to study in the US, international students must demonstrate that they have the resources necessary to meet the expenses outlined in the student expense budget. Financial aid awards may be included as resources for this purpose.