Harvard College Financial Aid (International Students)
Harvard has no separate named scholarship for international undergraduates. Instead, it admits all applicants need-blind regardless of citizenship and commits to meeting 100 percent of demonstrated financial need through grants, not loans, for every admitted student.
Quick Facts
Status
Applications OpenFunding
Fully FundedDeadline
CSS Profile due around February 1 (Regular Decision cycle)
Country
United StatesAbout the Harvard College Financial Aid
Harvard College does not run a distinct international scholarship program. Its financial aid works differently: admission decisions are made need-blind, meaning your ability to pay has no bearing on whether you are admitted, regardless of your nationality. Once admitted, Harvard commits to meeting 100 percent of your family's demonstrated financial need.
This aid is entirely grant-based, meaning it does not need to be repaid, and no loans are required as part of a standard aid package. Families with incomes below a set threshold, commonly cited around $85,000, typically pay nothing toward the cost of attendance. Above that threshold, the family's contribution scales with income and assets.
Because this is a need-based policy rather than a competitive scholarship, there is no separate application to win a named award. The process is: apply for admission, then submit the required financial documentation, and your aid package is calculated as part of your admission offer.
Eligible Levels
Eligible Fields
Why Choose This Scholarship?
Admission itself is need-blind
your finances do not affect whether you are admitted
Aid can reach the full cost of attendance for families with significant need
No loans required, unlike many university aid packages elsewhere
No separate competitive scholarship application to win
aid is guaranteed for every admit with demonstrated need
What the Scholarship Covers
Studying in United States
Harvard's need-based aid model, shared by several elite US universities, makes an Ivy League education genuinely accessible to international families who might otherwise assume it is out of reach on cost alone.
Eligibility Requirements
3 requirements
Documents Checklist
3 documents required
How to Apply - Step by Step
Apply for admission to Harvard College through the standard undergraduate application
Submit the CSS Profile by the financial aid deadline
Submit supporting income and asset documentation through Harvard's IDOC system
Receive your financial aid offer alongside your admission decision
Application Timeline
Fall (Early or Regular Decision)
Admission Application
Standard undergraduate application
Around February 1
CSS Profile Deadline
For Regular Decision applicants
With admission decision
Aid Offer
Issued together, typically late March/April
Insider Tips & Pro Tips
Submit the CSS Profile as early as possible, since it drives your entire aid calculation
Gather your family's income and asset documentation well before the deadline, since non-US paperwork can take time to compile
Do not assume you won't qualify - Harvard's need calculation is often more generous than families expect
Financial aid does not affect your admission chances in any way, so apply based on fit, not on assumptions about cost
Frequently Asked Questions
2 questions - click any to expand
Yes. Harvard meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for every admitted student, international or domestic, once you submit the required financial documentation.
No. Admission is need-blind, meaning your financial situation is not considered during the admission decision at all.
Ready to Apply?
Head to the official portal and start your application today.
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