FUNDING & SCHOLARSHIPS
All students admitted to our Ph.D. program receive full financial support. This includes tuition, fees, and a cost-of living stipend ($2,360 per month before taxes in 2008-09).
Support is independent of need provided a student remains in good academic standing and is making satisfactory progress towards his/her Ph.D. degree.
All students who receive financial support participate in the educational program for about ten hours a week for one term—usually as quarter time teaching fellows or in a similar capacity, during their second year of study.
On an extremeley limited basis, financial support is available to students in our master's programs. Applicants to our master's programs should complete the Statement of Financial Resources for Graduate Study as part of their application.
Cost of Study
For 2008-09, tuition for the two-term academic year is estimated at $35,386 (including University health service fees). After the second year of study, tuition costs drop substantially.Graduate dormitory accommodations are available to single students. Rates are $5,167 to $8,115 per 9-month academic year. Meals are available in the graduate dining hall. Dormitory residents are required to enroll in the meal plan at a cost of $2,008.
University-operated married students' apartments, from efficiency to three-bedroom suites, are available. The cost varies according to the accommodations. A wide range of private housing can be found within commuting distance.
Outside Support
To provide full support throughout the program for all Ph.D. candidates, we anticipate that a certain number of entering students will gain support from sources outside Harvard.Applicants are therefore expected to apply for all non-Harvard scholarships for which they are eligible, especially those offered by the National Science Foundation (see below). Recipients of other external awards made on the basis of open competition receive similar considerations on a pro-rated basis.
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences expect that all students will accept any outside aid they are awarded.
Financial Support
Financial support takes several forms: grants-in-aid (fellowships), teaching fellowships, and research assistantships. Ordinarily, first-year Ph.D. students are supported with full fellowships so that they can devote all their time to coursework. Beyond the first year, when students are in a better position to teach and assist in research, support is ordinarily provided through research assistantships, or a combination of a teaching fellowship and a research assistantship.Candidates for Ph.D. and master's degrees can occasionally be employed as technical assistants on one of the numerous research projects or in a similar capacity in other parts of the University. During the academic year, full-time students may not accept employment inside or outside the University, other than teaching fellowships or research assistantships, that involves a commitment of more than ten hours per week, without special permission.
For more information, please visit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) financial aid website.
Scholarships and Fellowships
Siebel Scholars
The Siebel Scholars program was established in 2001 to recognize the most talented students at the world’s leading graduate schools of business and computer science. Each year, up to five outstanding graduate students are honored as Siebel Scholars. The Dean nominates the Siebel Scholars on the basis of outstanding academic performance and qualities of leadership. Each Siebel Scholar receives a $25,000 award to defray tuition and expenses in the final year of his or her graduate studies.Requirements
- prospective students cannot apply for these fellowships
- for students in computer science only
- for master of science candidates only
- Part-time students cannot be included
- AB/SM students cannot be included
Peirce Fellowships
We offer eight Peirce Fellowships per year to the highest caliber admits. Prospectives students cannot apply for these fellowships; they are awarded by our faculty. The award offers selected students a $15,000 bonus payable in one of two ways: either as one lump sum in the first year or in increments of $5,000 over the first three years.Outside Funding and Fellowships
Students who receive competitive outside funding, such as NSF and NDSEG Fellowships, are eligible to receive a bonus of $3,000 for the life of their funding. For example, if a candidate is awarded a three-year NSF Fellowship, he or she is eligible to receive $3,000 each year for three years in addition to the fellowship.