Financial Support for PhD Students

Source: https://gsas.harvard.edu/financial-support/funding-and-aid/financial-support-phd-students

On this page:

Financial Support for PhD Students
Initial Notification of Financial Support & Annual Renewal/Acceptance of Financial Support
Deferring Support
General Categories of PhD Programs
Natural Sciences, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Medical Sciences
Humanities and Social Sciences Programs of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Humanities and Social Sciences Programs Offered in Partnership with Other Harvard Schools

FinancialSupport for PhD Students

The Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS) offers incoming PhD students a comprehensive package of financial support including tuition, health insurance fees, and basic living expenses. This support consists of a combination of tuition grants, stipends, traineeships, teaching fellowships, research assistantships, and other academic appointments.

Our packages typically provide full support (tuition, fees, and basic living expenses) for a minimum of five years – the first four years of study, plus the final year (i.e. the dissertation completion year). In addition, most programs guarantee an additional year of tuition and fee support after the fourth year of study; however, it is up to each individual student (with the help of their department/advisor) to seek out their own living expense support during this additional year.

Below is an example of how funding might work for a student throughout their time at Harvard Griffin GSAS:

grants toward tuition and the Harvard University Student Health Program paid in full for years G1 through G4 and the dissertation completion year
a combination of stipend, teaching fellowships, and/or research assistantships during years G1 through G4
summer research support from Harvard Griffin GSAS or faculty grants following the first four academic years
subsidy payments to defray dental insurance and transportation costs

Initial Notification of Financial Support & Annual Renewal/Acceptance of Financial Support

An initial Notice of Financial Support is provided at the time of admission to a Harvard Griffin GSAS PhD program. The Notice of Financial Support will outline the specific funding available to you from the program to which you have been admitted. In addition, each student is assigned a financial aid officer who will administer this funding and be available to assist you with any financial concerns you might have throughout your time working towards your degree.

Your eligibility for continued financial assistance as outlined in your initial Notice of Financial Support assumes the following:

You must maintain continued full-time enrollment. Students not enrolled (i.e. during a leave of absence or a period studying at another institution) are not eligible for Harvard Griffin GSAS financial aid programs.
You must always maintain satisfactory academic progress as certified by your department and academic advisor on a term-by-term basis. Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress are not eligible for Harvard Griffin GSAS financial aid programs.

Annually, continuing students supported by Harvard Griffin GSAS-administered funding sources are required to renew/activate their funding for the upcoming year either by using our Student Aid Portal, an online financial aid management system (students in the humanities and social sciences programs at FAS and in partner schools) or via coordination with their academic department (students in natural Sciences, engineering and applied sciences, and medical sciences).

Deferring Support

Students may find that their actual enrollment patterns necessitate adjustments to the timing of their funding. The options for deferring financial support vary by type of aid; please refer to the applicable sections of the financial aid web pages for details.

Students who are considering deferring financial support are strongly encouraged to contact their financial aid officer to review how such actions may impact their funding in future years.