Types of Funding for Master’s Students

Scholarships/Fellowships

  • Institutional

    Dean's Scholarship for HMS Master's Students

    At HMS, we strive to make master’s education accessible to all qualified students. The Dean’s Scholarship for HMS Master’s Students has been established to provide funding to students who have demonstrated financial need and have exhibited academic excellence, persistence, resilience, and a commitment to advancing the position of the underserved and the underrepresented in their field of interest.  This award provides eligible students with a scholarship equivalent to 15% of the full time tuition rate for any HMS Master’s Degree Programs (tuition only). HMS will award the Dean’s Scholarship for up to 35 students across the HMS Master’s programs. Beginning this academic year, this scholarship is open to both domestic and international students.

    New matriculants can apply for this scholarship once they are admitted to the program. The Dean's Scholarship Application has closed for the 2023-24 academic year.

    Potential recipients are nominated for this award by the Dean’s Scholarship Committee and are notified of their nomination by mid-June. The Dean’s Scholarship Awards are contingent upon demonstrated financial need. To determine eligibility for this scholarship, nominees must apply for financial aid. Nominees will receive financial aid application instructions after they have been notified of their nomination.

    Awards will be announced by June 30, 2023. For any questions about this scholarship, please reach out to hms_masters_programs@hms.harvard.edu.

    *Continuation of this program is contingent upon the availability of funds.

    **Please note: This award is for new HMS Master's matriculants only. HMS MD-Master's joint degree students, please refer to the MD Financial Aid site for funding opportunities.

    Master’s Program Tuition Discount for Faculty and Staff at HMS and Affiliated Institutions

    Full-time, benefits eligible faculty and staff at HMS and the affiliated institutions/hospitals are eligible for a scholarship equivalent to 10% of the full time tuition rate for any of the HMS Master’s Degree Programs (tuition only). Please notify the program if you think you are eligible for this scholarship.

    HMS Affiliates

    Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

    Boston Children's Hospital

    Brigham and Women's Hospital

    Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

    Cambridge Health Alliance

    Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

    Harvard Medical School

    Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute

    Hebrew SeniorLife

    HSDM Affiliate: The Forsyth Institute

    Joslin Diabetes Center

    Judge Baker Children's Center

    Massachusetts Eye and Ear

    Massachusetts General Hospital

    McLean Hospital

    Mount Auburn Hospital

    Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard

    Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

    Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System

    Wyss Institute at Harvard

    Harvard University's Committee on General Scholarships

    The Committee on General Scholarships (CGS) awards a range of financial assistance to international Harvard students. CGS funding is very competitive—admitted applicants and current students from across Harvard are eligible. CGS international fellowships are country specific. They are not awarded through HMS and require a separate application.   Application details, contact information, and a full list of fellowship and restricted scholarship opportunities are available on the CGS website. Below is a list of fellowship/scholarship opportunities available to HMS graduate students. Please contact CGS for any questions regarding the fellowship/scholarships below.

    • Argentina - Amalia Lacroze De Fortabat Fellowship Fund
    • Australia - Robert Gordon Menzies Scholarship                                       
    • Brazil - Jorge Paulo Lemann Fellowships
    • Colombia - Scholarships for Colombian Students
    • France - Arthur Sachs Scholarship, Jean Gaillard Fellowship Fund
    • Hong Kong - Hong Kong Jockey Club Graduate Scholarships
    • Mexico - Fundacion Mexico en Harvard Scholarships
    • Spain - Real Colegio Complutense Scholarships

  • External

    External Scholarship Resources

    External scholarships are a great way to help students subsidize their Harvard Medical School education because they can help minimize educational loan debt. Our external funding resource guides provide information on these opportunities offered by outside organizations and agencies.

     

    External Funding Resources for Domestic Students

    The HMS External Scholarship Guide for Domestic Students provides a list of several scholarship opportunities geared toward U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

    Scholarship Search Engines contain useful information and are also a great resource. Below are some examples of frequently used online search engines and websites.

     

    External Funding Resources for International Students

    The HMS External Scholarship Guide for International Students provides a list of several scholarship opportunities geared toward non-U.S. citizens.

    Scholarship Search Engines contain useful information and are also a great resource. Below are some examples of frequently used online search engines and websites for international students.

     

    Tips on Applying

    Who are you? When looking for external scholarships, you should look for the award funds that best describe you and your interests.

    • Think individually, academically, locally, and globally.
    • Consider your identity from multiple perspectives - female, veteran, religious affiliation, LGBTQ, fraternity, sorority, service memberships, athlete, differently abled, or first generation college student.
    • Think geographically - where do I have or had residency?
    • Consider your research and academic interests.

    How much time do you have? You should decide how much time to put into your scholarship search because there is no guarantee that it will yield results.

    Get organized. Create an Excel template. Know when scholarships are due.

    Get connected.

    • Google search
    • Financial aid websites at other schools
    • Contact your academic advisor or grant managers in your department.
    • Local library
    • Let as many people know that you are looking as you can. Someone may be aware of an opportunity that is perfect for you.

    Every little bit counts. Larger scholarships are more competitive. Consider applying for smaller scholarship awards. They tend to be less competitive and are also less likely to use strict cutoffs for grades and test scores.

    Have your application ready to go.

    • Always have your resume and transcripts ready.
    • Spell check is never enough.
    • Have your personal statement ready.
    • Make it easy for others to help you. When you ask for letters of recommendation, always provide a resume, your most recent transcript, and a brief statement of your career goals.

    Gratitude. Be certain 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.

Loans

  • Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans

    Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans

    Students in the Master’s programs are eligible to borrow up to $20,500 annually in the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan program. The student’s total aid (Direct Unsubsidized loans plus all other aid) can never exceed the standard student budget. The maximum aggregate Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan limit for Master’s students is $138,500.

    Origination Fees
    The origination fee for loans disbursed prior to October 1, 2023 is 1.057%. This fee is automatically deducted from the loan prior to disbursement.

    Interest Rates 
    The interest rate is set annually each academic year . The interest rate is set annually each academic year . The 2023-24 interest rate is 7.05%. For prior year rates, please visit Federal Student Aid.

    The interest on a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan accrues from the day the loan is disbursed and is always the responsibility of the borrower. Students can choose to let this in-school interest accrue or pay it quarterly. In order to minimize the cost of borrowing, students are encouraged to pay the quarterly interest if at all possible. Unpaid accrued interest will be capitalized (i.e. added to the outstanding principal balance) at the end of the grace period, prior to the onset of repayment.

    Master Promissory Notes for Federal Direct Loans will be made available for signing by August/September of the first year that a student borrows via HMS. Ordinarily, the loan funds will be credited directly to the borrower’s Harvard term bill account within a few days after loan signing; subsequent disbursements will automatically be credited at the start of each term.

    Grace Period
    All Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans carry a six-month grace period that begins once the borrower ceases to be enrolled at least half time at a qualified institution of higher education. During this grace period, interest accrues but no loan payments are required.

    Grace periods are loan-specific; thus each Direct Loan borrowed has only one grace period. However, if the borrower returns to school at least half time before the grace period expires, a full grace period will be available the next time enrollment ends. If the entire grace period is used before studies resume, no further grace period will be available and the loan will enter repayment immediately after half-time enrollment ends.

    Deferment
    Under certain conditions, Direct loans may be eligible for deferment benefits. During periods of deferment, repayment of principal is not required, but interest continues to accrue on the loans. All Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans are eligible for deferment if the borrower meets one of the following conditions:

    • A student enrolled at least half time at an institution of higher education;
    • Unemployed;
    • Experiencing financial hardship as defined by the U.S. Department of Education (three-year maximum);
    • A graduate fellow for at least six months under an approved fellowship program;
    • Enrolled in an approved rehabilitation training program

    Forbearance
    During periods of forbearance, repayment of principal is not required, but interest continues to accrue on the loans. All Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans are eligible for forbearance during the entire internship/residency period. Forbearance must be requested on an annual basis from the Direct Loan Servicer.

  • Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans

    Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans

    The Graduate PLUS loan is a Federal Direct Loan Program that is offered to graduate students who have reached the annual or lifetime maximum Direct Unsubsidized and Subsidized loan limits. This loan program serves the function of a private loan with the benefits of a federal loan program, such as deferment, forbearance, consolidation, and death and disability cancellation. The Direct Graduate PLUS loan program offers a six-month post-enrollment deferment period that begins once the student ceases to be enrolled at least half time. Borrowers must pass a credit check, and as with other federal loan programs, will need to complete a master promissory note to receive the loan funds.

    Origination Fees 
    The origination fee for loans disbursed prior to October 1, 2023 is 4.228%. This fee is automatically deducted from the loan prior to disbursement.

    Interest Rates
    The interest rate is set annually each academic year. The 2023-24 interest rate is 8.05%. For prior year rates, please visit Federal Student Aid.

    Post-Enrollment Deferment Period
    Effective July 1, 2008, Graduate PLUS loans are eligible to receive a six-month post-enrollment deferment period that begins once the student ceases to be enrolled at least half time.

    Deferment/Forbearance
    Same as the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan

    Debt Limits
    Annual maximum equal to student budget less other aid received. No cumulative debt limit.

  • Private Loans

    Harvard University Private Loans for Graduate and Professional Students

    Private loans are available to 1) US citizens and eligible non-citizens with a good credit history, and 2) international students may have opitons with or without a US co-signer.

    Harvard University seeks proposals from lenders offering non-federal education loans through an open Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The RFP was designed so that Harvard could provide information to its graduate and professional students on private loan products that have competitive rates and other borrower benefits. Please review the Harvard University private loans webpage.

    Note: The Harvard University Employees Credit Union (HUECU) Student Loan is available without a U.S. cosigner. This loan program is available to HMS domestic, international and DACA-eligible Master's students. Qualifying students interested in this loan program may borrow an HUECU student loan up to the amount $25,000 less other aid offered, not to exceed the total cost of attendance budget.

Student Employment

  • Work Study

    The Federal Work-Study Program provides an opportunity for students to earn a part of the cost of their education. The federal government, through Harvard, provides a wage subsidy to employers who hire participating students. This makes participants more attractive as employment prospects.

    The program encourages community service work and work related to the participant’s course of study. There are options to pursue both on- and off-campus work. A student’s work must be in the general public interest. It may not be primarily for the benefit of members in a limited membership organization. It may not involve sectarian instruction or other religious activities of a church, and it may not involve the construction, operation, or maintenance of any portion of a facility used for sectarian instruction or religious worship. Finally, FWS jobs must be free of partisan political involvement. Students may not work for the Department of Education, a member of the Congress, or in any position that includes lobbying the government.

    To qualify as an off-campus work-study employing agency, an organization must be either a federal, state or local government agency, or a private, non-profit organization within the US. The only permissible employment outside of the US is in a US government facility such as an embassy or military base. Privately-owned, for-profit companies are eligible for participation in the program provided the work is directly related to the student’s career goals. The company must also document an inability to hire the student without the FWS subsidy.

    The allowable wage range for graduate students for the academic year 2023-24 is $15.00 - $20.00 per hour. Wage range updates can be found in the Wage Range section of the Student Employment Office website. Employers are generally permitted to set the wage rate for their jobs in accordance with fair labor practices. Work-Study participants are paid through the Harvard payroll systems; employers are then billed for their share of the student’s total earnings, which generally ranges from 30% to 50% of wages paid. Students are eligible to work up to 40 hours per week while classes are in session.

    Students apply separately to participate during the term-time and summer Federal Work-Study employment periods. Application forms are available from the HMS Financial Aid Office. Eligibility is based on financial need as determined by an analysis of the student’s FAFSA data.

    A summer FWS award recipient must plan to be enrolled at HMS for the following fall semester. A portion of the gross summer work-study earnings (after adjusting for taxes and living expenses) is required to be used to fund a portion of the calculated student contribution for the following academic year. The exact amount is determined at the end of the summer after actual earnings are known. Federal regulations prohibit students from borrowing additional student loans to fund the Summer Work-Study component of the calculated student contribution.

    For term-time work-study, the work-study award will normally replace, dollar for dollar, loans in the student’s award package, beginning with least favorable loan. Alternatively, students may request that the award be used to replace a missing parent contribution.

    Once the student is approved to participate in the Federal Work-Study program, s/he is responsible for finding a suitable position. The Financial Aid Office maintains a listing of employment opportunities for students looking for work-study employment. Students may also wish to look for job suggestions at the Harvard University Student Employment Office.

    Apply for Federal Work Study.

VA and Military Benefits