Admissions & Aid: Financial Aid

Do HDS students work while going to school?

Many HDS students have part-time jobs while going to school. Students generally work 10 to 15 hours per week, many of them right on Harvard University’s campus. Many of our students work in libraries, in administrative offices, and in research positions or as part of their field education work. While some of these jobs are restricted for students who qualify for Federal Work Study, other positions are open to all students, including international students.

What do I need to do to be considered for merit-based grant aid?

All applicants to the MDiv and MTS programs are automatically considered for merit-based aid. HDS has a small pool of merit aid that is awarded based on the overall strength of the application. Merit award decisions are made by the admissions committee at the point of admission and are final.  

There is nothing that applicants need to do to be considered for merit-based aid. The admissions committee makes decisions on merit...

Read more about What do I need to do to be considered for merit-based grant aid?

What is the difference between merit-based aid and need-based aid?

Merit-based aid is institutional grant aid that is offered to students based on the overall strength of their admissions application. Need-based grant aid is institutional grant aid that is based on an applicant’s financial aid application. The vast majority of grant aid given at Harvard Divinity School for MDiv and MTS students is need-based grant aid. Grant aid is gift aid that does not need to be repaid.