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Admitted Candidates: Financial Aid Options

If you are an admitted candidate in an undergraduate, graduate, or health careers program, there are a variety of financial aid options available to help you meet your education expenses. As a US citizen or eligible noncitizen, you may apply for federal, state, and institutional aid.

Steps in the financial aid process

These are the general steps in the financial aid application and disbursement process. For more information specific to the academic period(s) for which you plan to apply for financial aid, please see Applying for Financial Aid:

  • Complete the appropriate Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), indicating the Harvard Extension School’s federal code, E00209. Applicants who are filing a federal tax return are strongly encouraged to complete the FAFSA at least two weeks after filing the tax return electronically in order to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. 
  • Complete the appropriate enrollment plan for financial aid form (see Forms) and submit it to Student Financial Services.
  • You may be asked to submit additional supporting documentation (for example, an IRS Tax Return Transcript or Verification Worksheet) before your application is considered complete. For this reason, you are encouraged to apply before the appropriate priority deadline. Student Financial Services will contact you if additional documentation is required.
  • Receive a financial aid eligibility letter indicating the amount and type(s) of aid for which you are eligible. You should receive this letter within 6 weeks of the later of the priority deadline or the date when your application is complete.
  • Sign and return a copy of the eligibility letter as instructed.
  • Sign a master promissory note, if borrowing a federal student loan, at www.studentloans.gov.
  • Complete the required entrance counseling if borrowing a federal student loan for the first time, at www.studentloans.gov.

When your enrollment is confirmed, at the end of the late registration period, financial aid funds are credited to your student account. If the financial aid is less than your charges, you are responsible for paying the difference.

If the financial aid is greater than your charges, Student Financial Services issues a refund check within 14 days, made payable to you and mailed to the address on record with the Registrar’s Office.

Financial aid advising

Upon applying for financial aid, advisors can help you understand the different types of aid for which you are eligible. Advisors are available by appointment.