Full Scholarships at Harvard for International Students

Dreaming of attending Harvard as an international student but worried about the cost. Does anyone have insights on how international students can get full scholarships at Harvard? Any advice on how to strengthen my application to improve my chances?

Harvard University has a strong commitment to ensuring all admitted students can afford to attend, regardless of their financial backgrounds. This extends to international students as well. Families with an income of below $85,000 are not expected to contribute to the cost of attendance, while families earning between $85,000 and $150,000 will contribute from 0 to 10% of their income.

Harvard evaluates financial aid requests on a need-based model rather than a merit-based model, meaning they offer financial aid based on your family’s financial situation, not your academic or extracurricular achievements. Therefore, while it's important to have a strong academic and extracurricular profile for admission, it won't directly impact your financial aid.

To strengthen your financial aid application, most importantly, make sure to accurately and honestly fill out the financial aid forms on time. For international students, this typically includes the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile, tax forms of your parents/guardians, and possibly additional documents for verification.

Given that you are seeking as much aid as possible, it's also crucial to explain any special circumstances that might affect your family's ability to pay. Differences in cost of living, medical expenses, or unusually high childcare or elder care costs that are not reflected in tax forms can all be factors. Make sure to communicate all such information through the appropriate channels.

Also, be aware that you'll need to apply for financial aid at the same time that you're applying for admission. The deadlines will be outlined on Harvard’s financial aid website, and it's extremely important to meet these deadlines. If you wait until after you’ve been admitted, you may not be eligible for financial aid.

Last, continue to maintain a strong academic and extracurricular profile. While these factors won’t directly affect your financial aid, they are key to getting admitted into Harvard in the first place. And remember, Harvard's financial aid system is designed to make it possible for all admitted students to attend, so don’t let the sticker price discourage you from applying! Good luck!