Apply for Aid: Timeline

Upon Admission and Rolling Throughout the Spring & Summer (Process opens in late January)

New Admits: Complete Your Preliminary Financial Aid Application (Step 1)
New Admits: Review/Understand Your Preliminary Financial Aid Award Offer (Step 2)

Mid-March until April 27

Continuing Students: Complete Your Preliminary Financial Aid Application (Step 1)

By May 1

New Admits: Pay your deposit to the HLS Admissions Office

Early June (and through the Summer for late Admits and New Transfers)

New Admits: Receive your Harvard University ID and create your University PIN

Beginning June 15

New Admits: Understand Your Loan Options and take any necessary action to select/apply for loans (Step 3)

Beginning Early July

Continuing Students: Review/Understand Your Preliminary Financial Aid Award Offer (Step 2)
Continuing Students: Understand Your Loan Options and take any necessary action (Step 3)

Mid-July

All Students: Receive email notification of July e-bill and ensure that you are financially cleared. If not, make an e-payment or continue applying for additional supplemental loans (Step 4).

Early August

All Students: Receive email notification of August e-bill and if still not financially cleared, make an e-payment or continue applying for additional supplemental loans (Step 4).

Early September

All Students: Register for fall classes (if financially cleared)
All Students: Pick up fall cash advance check after fall registration if anticipated financial aid credits exceed fall charges (Step 4)

By September 15

All Students: E-sign Federal Direct Stafford, Perkins and/or Harvard loan master promissory notes if applicable (Step 5)

All Students: Submit all post-award documents to HLS Student Financial Services (Step 5)
All Students: Complete your online Entrance Interview (Step 5)

November 1

All Grant recipients: Receive email notification of your finalized HLS financial aid award including final grant eligibility and LIPP borrowing eligibility (Step 5)

January 15

All Loan ONLY recipients: Receive email notification of your finalized HLS financial aid award and final maximum LIPP borrowing eligibility (Step 5)

Special Note for Newly Admitted Transfer Students: 

HLS Admissions typically does not begin to admit new transfer students until July of each calendar year. Newly admitted transfers students have a compressed timeframe in which to go through all of the same application steps broken out above for newly admitted 1Ls. We understand that this can create a stressful situation for you and it is our goal to work individually with each transfer student to expedite the application process and alleviate stress as much as possible. Please feel free to contact our office for advice and to talk about the process as needed once you receive an offer of Admission.