Applications for Summer 2025 open on December 2.
The total cost for a Harvard Pre-College Program session in 2025 is $5,800. The cost of the program includes tuition, room and meal plan, the program fee, and an accident and sickness insurance plan for the full two weeks.
The breakdown of costs and additional fees is outlined below.
In addition, we award a limited number of scholarships to eligible students on the basis of financial need. Visit our Payment Options page for information on the forms of payment accepted.
- Application fee (non-refundable): $75
- Full 2025 program fee: $5,800
Financial Aid
A limited number of scholarships are available to assist students who demonstrate financial need. Awards vary based on need, and a typical award covers a portion of the tuition. If needed, we encourage you to seek other sources of funding as well.
To be eligible as a student, you must be either:
- A U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- OR granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.
- You must complete the application and other requirements on time.
About the Award
Pre-College Program financial aid is a scholarship award. It is not a loan and does not have to be paid back. Awards typically cover only a portion of the program cost, not its entirety. Families should expect to contribute to the remaining portion of the program cost as well as other expenses like travel, books, etc.
Award amounts are determined by many variables, including family finances and availability of funds. Not all financial aid applicants may be eligible for or receive a scholarship. Harvard Summer School staff cannot predict how much aid a student may be offered.
Harvard Summer School does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry or any other protected classification.
Applicants are not guaranteed a financial aid award even if they have received aid from Harvard Summer School in previous terms. Students must apply for financial aid every year. Eligibility is based on current financial status and funds available from Harvard Summer School.
FAQs
Where is the financial aid application?
The financial aid application for our need-based scholarship is located within the program application portal. We do not offer a separate financial aid application, so students must complete it before they submit their program application.
What documents will I need to apply for financial aid?
When completing the financial aid application, students will be asked for information from the student and parent 2023 1040 tax return and 2023 W-2 forms in addition to the value of student and parent assets.
Do you offer financial aid for international students?
To be eligible for financial aid, you must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or be granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.
Does Harvard Summer School offer an application fee waiver?
Harvard Summer School does not offer application fee waivers for students. However, if you are a student applying to Harvard Summer School with an organization that is affiliated with Harvard Summer School, you may want to inquire with your organization to see if there is an application fee waiver available. If so, your organization would be billed for payment of the fee.
While we do offer financial aid to eligible students, awards typically cover only a portion of the program cost. Families should expect to contribute to the remaining portion of the program cost as well as other expenses like books, school supplies, and travel to the Harvard campus.
When do I need to pay my balance in full?
Information on the payment deadline, as well as information on other important dates and deadlines, may be found on the Pre-College Program calendar.
Does Harvard Summer School offer payment extensions?
Unfortunately, payment deadlines for the term are firm deadlines that cannot be extended.
Student accounts must be paid in full by the payment deadline for your program, or the student will be at risk of being dropped for non-payment.
I can’t pay the total fee all at once. Can I have a payment plan?
Payment plans are not available. Students may make several smaller payments towards their balance over the registration period, but the balance must be paid by the payment deadline.
Can I have someone call or email on my behalf if we have questions about my student account?
Because Harvard University is an institution of postsecondary education, we must comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as Amended (FERPA) in protecting the confidentiality of students’ educational records, regardless of the student’s age. This means that our personnel may communicate only with the student about their courses, registration status, account balance, and other information that is specific to the student and not identified as directory information.
For more information, visit our Rights and Regulations webpage.
What payment options are available?
Harvard Summer School accepts the payment methods listed below:
- Credit or Debit Card
- Checks (electronic or paper checks are accepted)
- TransferMate (for international payments and domestic bank wires)
Click here for detailed information on each payment option.
Someone wants to make a payment on my account. How can they do that?
You may authorize others (parents, employers, other third parties) to access your financial account information — to view your student account details and submit a payment directly to your account via credit card or electronic check (US bank accounts only).
In compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), your student financial records may not be shared with a third party without your written consent. Adding an authorized user serves as your written consent that a third party may view your account information and make payments on your behalf via the Student Finance Portal.
To authorize a user:
- Sign into the Student Finance Portal in MyDCE by selecting Financial Services at the top of the page.
- Once you have consented to the Billing and Payment Terms and Conditions, you will find the Authorized Users link on the Finance Portal main page.
You may manage your authorized users by adding, deleting and editing authorized users information from the Student Finance Portal main page. You may authorize multiple users.
Please note that authorized user access is granted for the online portal only. Student Financial Services staff are unable to discuss a student’s account details with an authorized user via phone or email.
Questions?
Due to the sensitive nature of the financial aid application process we regret we are unable to provide phone support for Harvard Pre-College Financial Aid.
If you have questions about the Harvard Pre-College Program financial aid application process, please email PreCollegeFinancialAid@Summer.Harvard.edu.
Please DO NOT SEND tax returns and other confidential or sensitive information via email. Email is not secure. If you have any questions regarding the financial aid process, please email the Pre-College financial aid office directly.
