If not, how much does a student need to contribute financially, or is money taken out of the financial aid package?
I can’t remember where I read this statistic, but less than 400 student’s (out of 6400 undergraduates) actually study abroad during the fall and spring semesters. Maybe that’s because most student’s choose Harvard to study with the noted professor’s there and don’t want to interrupt their academic year to study somewhere else. What many students do instead is to spend a summer abroad. If a student is on financial aid, the cost of the summer program abroad varies from student to student, depending upon individual circumstances. https://college.harvard.edu/academics/enrichment-programs/study-abroad
Expect that Harvard will make most experiences affordable for its students on heavy financial aid.
Sorry I don’t get what you mean Hanna. Do you mean the surplus in the financial aid?
Based upon financial need, my daughter attended Harvard on almost a full academic scholarship. She (we) basically had to pay room, board, plus about $2,000 in tuition costs per semester. The total per semester came to about $9,000, which made the whole endeavor less expensive than our flagship state school. (Our family’s need was calculated having 2 children enrolled in college at the same time.)
However, if my daughter had elected to go abroad for the summer, Harvard’s Financial Aid office said we would have been responsible for 54% of the cost, which could have been an additional $5,000 to $8,000, not including airfare. Consequently, my daughter did not go abroad during the summer term.
Make no mistake about it, Harvard is generous, but they don’t have a surplus of aid for student’s going abroad for the summer. It’s not a priority, nor is it a necessity in order to graduate.
As 94% of applicant’s are rejected at Harvard, may I suggest you ask the question again after you’ve been accepted!
I don’t know how I could be more clear. If you want to do something at Harvard that costs money – like create a research project or spend a semester (not a summer) studying at a university abroad – you should expect that Harvard will make most things affordable. Not everything. Just most things. And I agree that you should worry more about this after you are accepted.
Thanks everyone.
Is United Airlines giving away free seats to students?
When my dd was, at Brown her aid travelled with her as well, so she was able to go with an external program and the aid from Brown covered the same COA as studying at Brown (although I’m sure all those things were cheaper cost.) She needed to pay for airfare so she applied and rec’d a federal Gilman grant for study abroad and that gave enough money for travel after her semester as well.
When my D was at Harvard, she was able to travel to Africa and the Middle East. As I recall, individual donors had endowed these programs and there was some correspondence between them
The questions are legitimate and the young person doesn’t need to wait until they are accepted prior to asking them.
It will depend upon whether a student goes abroad during a fall or spring semester or if it would be during the summer or a winter break program.
Harvard is generous and there are avenues that can be pursued regardless of a students financial circumstances.
Our daughter had a friend/classmate spend the Summer in Europe in an abroad program and the expense was very modest.
You can contact Harvard admissions and pose your question directly. Our daughter works in the Harvard admissions office, I am happy to ask her who you could contact if you would like me to.
DD is at Harvard and studied abroad last Spring without cost using financial aid package, studied abroad over summer as well at no personal cost with financial aid. The summer aid package is dependent upon level of financial aid. Students on full aid receive airfare in addition to tuition/room/board. The aid is not guaranteed and can only be used once for the summer. I believe Yale guarantees a funded summer abroad to students on full aid.
My older son spent this summer in Turkey at an archaeological dig run in part by Harvard. Harvard paid his room and board, and a set amount for travel, but he had to forgo earning any money over the summer. His sponsor, in part, made up for that. He also spent a J-term in Greece, paid for by Harvard. But he hasn’t spent an entire semester abroad.