HKS Financial Aid Application for International Applicants: Overview and Q&A

Good morning, everyone welcome to our Kennedy School virtual session on applying for financial aid. Kit first before we start can everyone hear me if you can just let us know. In the chat box and hopefully we if we have any technical issues, which we hopefully won't. But we can address them now.

OK, great, it looks like the majority of you can hear us. I just want to introduce myself, my name is Catherine's propolis. I am the assistant director here at the Kennedy School in the student Financial Services Office. I am here joined by my colleague, Elkin Arroyo, who is our financial aid officer.

We're here today to just kind of give an overview of the application process for financial aid. And just before that. I want to be give a few details on questions. You can feel free to ask your question at anytime. We just won't be addressing them until toward the end of the session. These clear as you can be as concise as you can try to be as general as you can for the benefit of the greater audience.

If you have a very specific situation or individual situation. We do ask you to contact us directly so we can kind of discuss that on your based on your particular situation in details also recording in the session will be available within a week.

So uhm today, we're going to just be providing an overview of the financial aid application in the process here at HKS. We're going to talk about some important dates that you should keep in mind discuss a little bit about the type of assistance that we have available provide some tips and next steps and also kind of go over the main sections of the application and how you can access it and then the bulk well. We want to make sure to leave time for you guys to ask questions at the end.

So basically at this point in time. Everyone who's submitted an application for admission will have received an email from our office with information on how to access our financial aid application. If you haven't received at this point. Please let us know. Contact us immediately, but by this point we've sent out all notifications regarding the application itself.

The application is available through the same platform as the application for admission.

So that's important to keep in mind, you'll see a tab available for you. On the status page, which you'll see a little bit later in the in our presentation. You can kind of get a visual if you haven't actually seen it yet, but we will go over that so you would have to submit a complete application for financial aid, which would include the application form itself as well as any essays for any fellowship that you are planning to apply for.

And you will be considered for certain fellowships that you may not see actually listed in the application form itself by virtue of your particular background. We don't include everything in our application to make it.

Not so long or cumbersome for you so keep in mind. If you don't see a particular fellowship. Listed you will still be considered for it if you fit the criteria for that fellowship.

And here are some important dates that should already be familiar to you guys, but just to highlight you have until February 3rd to complete the application. So you still have a little bit of time. It's important to remember that you should be filling out the application for financial aid. If you want to be considered without knowing whether you have been admitted to the Kennedy school or not every year. We kind of get that question after admissions decisions are released whether they now whether students now have an opportunity to apply for financial aid.

Or wishing to apply retractively that is not possible your time to submit the application is right now and again or financial assistance is awarded on merit so be sure to complete the application, regardless of whether you have financial need or not.

So here are just some statistics about the average amounts of of awards for each group.

It's funny, it's 8% is an percentages for each program as well. To keep in mind that the application itself that we're considering the sources for our covering our merit fellowships public service. Fellowships also set center Research Center fellowships that include the Center for public leadership and a few others. We also have some restricted scholarship information that we work with the Committee on general scholarships for.

Hum.

That is a central committee at the University I think.

That will that we also work in conjunction with in terms of awarding aid that they provide but we sort of.

Take their take the information on their behalf an make the award on our end so that caveat to that. The Committee on general scholarships is that there are also other fellowships that they offer that require an additional application outside of our application, so if.

You are interested in pursuing or getting more information on those I would highly suggest that you.

Go to their website and review their information to see what the application procedure is because they do have different deadlines than our deadline.

So again just a reminder that.

Because our aid is limited, we'd try to do the best we can with the amount of funds that we have, but

a submission of an application for financial aid doesn't guarantee that you're actually going to receive an actual award. It's unfortunate, but our funds are very limited it can only go so far.

Alright so now for the application itself. I think most of you should have seen this page. By now but you access the application right from the admission portal as Miss indicated there on the financial aid. Button pointed out by the arrow. That's what you're well your click and then we can go on to the next slide and then you know you have a little welcome statement there and then you can actually access the application itself.

Um so the application itself consists of a number of questions with dropdowns to select to select some answers or free text boxes to answer an answer. And then as Katherine mentioned there are also some fellowships, which require an essay it bears reminding again that we I think you guys can as you can see, there in this page. You can actually access our financial label short well. You'll see all of the funds that are available at the Kennedy School. You will see some funds there that are not available on the application itself.

And again is Katharine mentioned by you guys filling out the actual application, you will be considered for those funds.

And again here is a hero the fellowships that require essays. If you click on the plus boxes next to each of the fellowship name. It'll give you a description in the case of the center in the center in the case of the central fellowships in particular. They usually have a format that they want the essays to be submitted. So just be able to be sure to follow that format and as it says right there in the instructions. Please read that very carefully.

For some of the funds if there is no format for the essay specified just make sure that you discuss how you are a good why you are a good fit for that fellowship and keep it to no more than 2 pages single spaced.

Uh and then the scattered mentioned we have some restricted fellowships that those are the ones that we work in conjunction with the comedian general scholarships. So just be sure to indicate your citizenship by selecting it from the drop down menu and also we have some funds that we have that we manage here at the student Financial Services office that are also restricted based on nationality for instance.

And the last part of the application, there is a there is an option to submit a special circumstances as they so you know that that is your option to just address any additional sort of concerns that you feel that the selection committee needs to have about you. You know, we do, we do try to read through all of those an kind of give their due attention to each one but?

As Katherine mentioned our funding is limited and very competitive. So you know what we'll do the best we can with regards to that.

So at this point.

Some additional tips if you haven't already researched external funding sources. We strongly urge you to do so because that may be one of the best sources for your funding your education here at HKS. We do have a on line.

External and internal funding source database that you can access through our website.

If you haven't already started looking start looking now an as we like to recommend if you haven't sort of put together a financial plan for your time here. Please start thinking about that now regardless of whether or not you are aware of what your financial aid situation will be we can also help guide you in terms of putting a financial plan together but at this point, you should be doing your best.

In order to put your best financial foot forward while you're here at HBS because you don't want to spend your time worrying about how to pay your rent or have food to eat if you're here, studying we want you to have the best experience here at HPS without having to worry about money. So there may be some also some updates from us on the HKS admissions block lookout for those and again as I mentioned earlier if you have any specific.

Questions or questions, we may not have gotten to through this session. Please contact us directly and again. You can always look at our website for additional information and one more thing. I wanted to mention with regards to the financial aid application process. This is your only opportunity to apply for financial aid. If you are considering one of the 2 year programs. So we do not offer an opportunity to submit another financial aid application prior to the start of your second year.

So again if you want to be considered please be sure to submit an application for financial aid right now.

OK, so we'll do our best to get through as many questions as we can. But if we don't get to your question or if you have a very specific question as I mentioned feel free to contact us, one of our first questions. Many other fellowships mentioned the brochures, not listed as I mentioned earlier. We don't lift everything in the financial aid. Application just because it would make it very cumbersome and long and longer than it needs to be.

If you submit your financial aid application itself and you qualify for some of those that may not be listed will be considering you for those resources.

OK.

Pizza so we had a question about the PS FS the public service fellowships. So there is a question on the application asking you to indicate whether you're interested in the public service fellowship or not, and it's important to keep in mind that usually poops do come with a requirement to work in the public sector, either in your home country or anywhere in the world. It depends it depends on the specific criteria of the award that you're considered.

But there is a requirement that you work for 3 years after graduation, and public service for some of them so if you want to be considered your simply select. Yes, I want to be considered, and you'll submit an essay and then there are some other ones that are a little bit more specific, I can think of the DS foundation for for people that are part of the Indian Civil service so that is also a public service fellowship, but that one is specific to Indians.

So there's a question on the Cpl. Fellowships whether you can apply for more than one and how does one application be considered?

So basically you can apply to as many of the Cpl. Fellowships as you're eligible for you would have to submit the specific essays for that fellowship through our application. So there's no limit in general. Also on to how many fellowships. You can apply for it doesn't guarantee that you're going to get more than one if you do receive any also just keep in mind that there will be a virtual session.

Um that Cpl will be doing to discuss their fellowships, so if you have very specific questions for them. Please attend that session next week.

I see, there was a question about joint Japan World Bank scholarship program so HKS does have a partnership, but only for those students that are applying for the for the MPA ID program that is a partner program.

OK, this is how many fellowships do you suggest to apply for in parallel? Which sources besides the brochure do you recommend to get more information on the individual fellowships to see which one fits best so our brochure and our online database is your best spot for getting information on our particular funds and funds that have that we've actually.

Put together over.

Several years that either students have received or that we've been notified that are good resources for our students.

We don't limit you on how many again. How many fellowships. You can apply for you can apply for as many as you like.

There's a question about fellowships and covering dependents, so the answer is no Unfortunately as we mentioned our financial aid. Funding is limited and so, if you choose to. If you choose to come with dependents family members. You have to make arrangements to cover them financially or financially, only covers the student.

All right what kind of materials will be shared with the financial aid committee all the essays are just the ones we submit it for specific scholarships, the financial aid committee only considers the information you submit it through your financial aid application. An the essays contain their the only caveat to that is that Cpl will be looking at recommendations from your admissions file as part of their application process as well as your resume so that's the only difference.

Is that the committees are different in terms of consideration and everything else is just strictly our application in the essays submit it there.

There was a question about public service and so we define public service very broadly. It's not just for people who are working in government. You could be indeed working for an NGO you could be working for an organization such as the World Bank original government national government international organization, it's very broadly defined.

Um there's also a question about external financing coming from an employer is being negotiated should that be mentioned on the external financing in the application. The application is looking for confirmed sources that you have. There is also a section that asks for information on pending resources. You can feel free to list any any pending sources that you've applied for in that section, but don't list them under the confirm section if they're not confirmed.

Uh there's also a question about special circumstances.

Um whether or not they are related to financial circumstances. They can be they can also be any other special circumstance that may be of a personal nature that will impact that has impacted you either financially or personally that you feel that you want to highlight in your application that you want to bring to the attention of the committee so it does not just have to be financial in nature.

There's a question that says are older scholarships compatible with dual degree students from other universities.

I have to admit that I don't really understand what this questions me what this question means so maybe you can clarify.

Sure.

There's a question about a loan waiver program for the candidates in public service.

Uh so.

The public service for instance, the Public Service Fellowship.

As I mentioned there's a requirement for typically 3 years of public service after you graduate.

You will get selected if you ultimately opt not to work in public service. That means you're kind of rescinding the terms under which you accepted that scholarship so you would have to pay that funding back as alone. But there isn't necessarily like a loan waiver program for safer candidates in public service.

I'm though it was pointed out on our timeline about decisions being released financial aid decisions will be released at the same time that admissions decisions are released in March.

I'm just going through the questions on.

Let's see if there was a question about the MPI D team, sending out the form for World Bank eligibility that's best.

Set 2 MP ID, they don't coordinate that with our office. Unfortunately, so that they would be the best people to contact about when that will go out there's a question about the either Kayyali Fellowship and how much it's worth rarely. We provide specific number or figure of what will be covered in the scholarship. Some things that could be tuition. Sometimes they could be full tuition and fees so it really it all depends.

On how many candidates there are applying for the funds and also how much funding is in that particular scholarship available.

See.

There's a question about anticipated in terms of monthly rental so our website actually has an estimated budget for any given program for the Mason program, which is 11 months versus the two year programs, which are 9 months. That's the length of the academic year. So we break it all down there.

There's a question about dual degrees an if there any restriction. There are some funds that are specific for dual degree programs with Harvard Business School?

Or if you're doing any other dual degree outside of HPS or have done already have a current degree that one is handled through a separate outside process, but the thing to keep in mind about if you're doing a dual degree outside of HBS for Harvard Business. There isn't there's some funding for Harvard Law but in terms of.

Funding itself if you receive funding, UM for the HBS.

Joint degree program, it only will cover your time here at HKS. It doesn't correspond to any funny. You'd receive at HBS would be a separate process through HBS on what you're going to receive through their financial aid process you have to go through 2 separate financial aid process is an be considered separately for those.

There's a question about applications being evaluated on merit and we get we get this question. All the time. This is primarily the admissions office assessment and the people that will be reading your applications. But certainly academic performance is taken into consideration your commitment to public service or definitely demonstrated public service experience leadership potential commitment to diversity all of these things go into merit, but we don't have a specific.

Formula to give you.

There was a question also about the financial status of the applicant and whether it effects. The aid that's allocated as we mentioned our financial aid program is merit based so we do not take into account necessarily the applicants financial need or financial standing.

Um there's a question on whether we look at GPA jirari scores in our decision.

We as part of our process will only be looking at the financial aid application information. An the essays, you submitted again to kind of jump.

Aren't you know piggyback on? What Elkin was mentioning about what we're considering as merit. It's the admissions process here is a very holistic process so all of those elements are considered as part of Merit, the only caveat to that is that for some Research Center funds. The research centers themselves may also incorporate elements of what their mission is and how closely your background fits.

Those elements of their mission in terms of their assessment for their funds so that is also there part of what they're considering for merit.

There's a question about some scholarships that require interviews and usually those are the ones that are managed by the centers specifically the Center for public leadership. So you will be contacted in the interviews do not have to be in person. I believe they conduct them over Skype.

There was also a question about how many maze and fellowships or the percentage of Mason students that are awarded so if you are in the financial aid application. You can see our brochure, which has some figures about the average amount that students have received per program in the past 3 years or the percentage of students that are funded again. Those are averages, and over the last 3 years, so they should not be construed as guarantees or anything of the sort but that should give you an idea.

There's a question about whether journalism is considered public service and whether or not there's sort of a grace period after graduation. If you have to work right away to meet your public service commitment. So basically how we're how we're defining public service.

Is that the source of who is paying you your employer that source that is issuing your paycheck if that is a private organization that does not meet our elements for public service our consideration, so if you're working for a source that's

not considering a nonprofit or

you know, Publix public entity, then you're not meaning those criteria.

And basically if you once you graduate you have up to a year, grace period in which to find.

Employment that meets the requirement.

And then from then on, then the three year requirement is kicks off.

So there's a question about what mentioned in the in the savings.

I mean that that is personally up to you. But as we mentioned on the application, there is a disclaimer that if you misrepresent any information that you have provided. We reserve the right to pull some or all of the funding that you may have been awarded so we are looking for transparency.

And there's a question about quotas in terms of making awards per program. It doesn't really work. That way because as you may have noticed. There are some funds that are specific to a particular program. And it can only go to students in that program so we don't have specific quotas we go by.

Criteria and eligibility.

There's a question about the timing of application, assuming it is before February 3rd affect your chances of getting funded no that doesn't matter at all. You can be somebody who submitted your application February 2nd the day before which we don't recommend or you could be somebody that submitted all the way in this back in December when it first opened that really bears no consideration in our process.

I guess someone's audio crashed about what elements are shared with financial aid committee. Basically, what is shared with the committee is what you submit in your financial aid application in the essay is attached to that application. The only exception are for fellowships for the Center for public leadership, which will access recommendation and your resume from your admissions application.

I think we've run.

Out of time, Unfortunately, but our contact information is listed here for you to follow up with us directly. We're happy to answer any questions and thank you for joining us this morning.