fbpx Applying for Financial Aid | Harvard Kennedy School

If you plan to apply for financial assistance, you must submit your master’s degree application before you can access our financial aid application.  You will receive detailed instructions on how to apply for financial assistance once we receive your online application.

Applicants who submit a financial aid application and are admitted to the Kennedy School will be notified of their financial aid decision soon after receiving the offer of admission.

Financial aid application timeline  
  • October: FAFSA available for completion (U.S. citizens and permanent residents)
  • November: Financial aid application available to applicants
  • Early December: Admission application deadline
  • Early January: Financial aid application deadline, FAFSA deadline (U.S. citizens and permanent residents)
  • March: Admission and financial aid decisions announced
  • April: Admission and financial aid response deadline
Applying for Financial Aid Checklist
  1. Research Harvard and external fellowship and scholarship opportunities.
  2. Submit your application for admission—this is required before you can access the HKS Application for Financial Assistance.
  3. Complete the HKS Application for Financial Assistance—after you have submitted your application for admission—by visiting this website and selecting "Financial Aid."
  4. If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

We encourage you to apply regardless of financial need. The majority of our fellowships and scholarships are primarily merit based. By applying for financial assistance, you will be considered for:

MPP alumnus Ala Qasem
Alumni Perspective

I am acutely appreciative of the opportunities provided by the Emirates Leadership Initiative Fellowship to build a strong support network of thoughtful, driven leaders I can rely on as I partake in the task of my country's reconstruction.

Ala Qasem MPP 2017