Scholarships are the kind of financial aid that helps students pay off their education expenses. Harvard University also offers various scholarship programs but all the problems are based on the financial need of the student. Harvard University is more affordable than other public universities. It aims to bring unique talent to the university regardless of their financial conditions. The financial condition of the students doesn’t impact their chance of being admitted to Harvard University. Harvard University works with two major principles first, 100% need-based aid and need-blind admissions. Here, we will discuss how Harvard gives merit scholarships, what scholarships are available at Harvard, and many other relevant information.
Merit Scholarships
Merit scholarships are those scholarship program which are not awarded based on financial need. It is awarded to those who excel in their academics, athletics, other qualities like leadership skills, extracurricular activities, arts, and other specific interests or talents. High-performance students can able to attend colleges with merit scholarships by these scholarships are funded by organizations like the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Students can redeem merit scholarships every year or multiple times.
Does Harvard Give Merit Scholarships?
Harvard University doesn’t offer merit scholarships, rather it provides a need-based financial aid package to the students who are admitted to the university. It ensures that the student’s cost of education is manageable. Harvard University is known for its need-based financial aid programs. The financial barrier of the students doesn’t affect the admission and scholarship process of talented students and should not prevent them from attending Harvard University.
About Harvard’s Financial Aid Programs
Some key points that are important to understand about Harvard University’s financial aid programs are as follows.
- No Merit Scholarships: Harvard University admits students regardless of their financial background. It provides the opportunity to all the students who want to contribute to the university. In some universities, scholarships are only based on academic achievements, extracurricular activities, or accomplishments but here, only financial need is assessed by the providers for awarding scholarships.
- Commitment to Diversity: The main focus of Harvard University is to maintain diversity and inclusion in the university by providing opportunities to the different economic backgrounds students. It provides a great spectrum of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. It helps students in social and mental development.
- Elements of Financial Aid: Harvard University’s financial aid includes various elements that help students in covering their cost of education. These elements include employment opportunities for students, summer earning programs, parents’ contributions, and grant aids. Under some grants, loans are also included whereas they emphasize reducing the need for loans. So, these elements help students in getting rid of their financial burden.
- Process of Application: To get eligible for the scholarships at Harvard University you have to complete the application process on time. You are required to submit the FAFSA and CSS form. These profiles include all the details of the students including families’ financial situation. The providers evaluate all the related details from these forms and almost all the universities consider FAFSA and CSS Profile while assessing the application for scholarships.
- Fulfill Financial Need: The main purpose of providing scholarships is to bridge the gap between the financial ability of the family and the total cost of attending college at Harvard. Majorly through their financial aid Harvard provides 100% security of college costs.
- Renewal of Financial Aid: Scholarships awarded at Harvard cover the annual cost of the program and require renewal at the end of the year. Students have to apply for the renewal of the scholarship each year and must contribute to the university’s progress, maintain good academic scores, and work consistently with the university policies. After evaluating the progress of the student, providers renew their financial aid.
Therefore, these are the major points that you need to consider for getting eligible for financial aid at Harvard University. It doesn’t provide merit-based scholarships and focuses only on need-based aid.
Conclusion
Harvard University’s primary focus is to provide need-based scholarships rather than merit and full-ride scholarships. It also offers opportunities to apply for competitive scholarships, grants, and scholarships for their area of interest. To get a scholarship at Harvard University, students have to complete their application criteria and must apply on time. For an effective application, students have to submit their FAFSA and CSS Profile because the providers review their financial condition through these forms. Primarily, it focuses on need-based scholarships as it wants to develop students with diversity and inclusion.