Mary Downs
09:00:35 AM
Hi all, thank you for joining us! We will begin the presentation in just a few minutes.
Lucas Braga Machado
09:01:01 AM
Thank you, Mary.
Peter Sarpong
09:01:13 AM
Thanks Mary
Karolina Naranjo Velasco
09:01:15 AM
Hello everyone!
Jaime Aquino
09:01:18 AM
Morning! There's no audio, right?
Sebastian Kohnen
09:01:20 AM
Hello
Paul-Etienne Pini
09:01:24 AM
Hello and thank you, Mary!
Geronimo Alfredo Gerald Crisologo
09:02:16 AM
Good day to all.
Ilan Schleif
09:02:34 AM
Hello
Jaime Aquino
09:02:35 AM
Where's everybody from? Mexican guy here
Ayrton de Barros
09:03:18 AM
Hello Guys!
Pooja Singh
09:03:21 AM
Many thanks Mary! Hello everyone
Meng Lin
09:03:25 AM
Hello everyone!
Yasir Dhaeer
09:03:37 AM
Hello Mary
Yasir Dhaeer
09:03:45 AM
Hello everyone
Anushruti .
09:03:56 AM
Thank you, Mary. Hello to everyone!
Karolina Naranjo Velasco
09:03:56 AM
YES
Peter Sarpong
09:03:59 AM
Yes
Sandra Kuegele
09:03:59 AM
yes
Hello everyone and welcome to today's virtual session and we're just going to start off making sure that our technology and audio is working correctly so if you can hear me right now. If you wouldn't mind confirming by typing into the chat box and then we'll get started.
Paul-Etienne Pini
09:04:00 AM
Yes!
Ayrton de Barros
09:04:01 AM
Yes
Lucas Braga Machado
09:04:02 AM
Go to go
Vaishnavi Prathap
09:04:03 AM
Yes can hear
Yoga Santoso
09:04:04 AM
Yes
Sebastian Kohnen
09:04:05 AM
yes
Bianca Drebber
09:04:05 AM
Yes
Pooja Singh
09:04:07 AM
Yes
Geronimo Alfredo Gerald Crisologo
09:04:13 AM
Good to go..
Good morning, everyone and thank you for joining us this morning to talk about financial aid here at the Kennedy School. I'm Katherine's problems as assistant director here in the student Financial Services office. I'm joined by my colleague, Elkin Arroyo financial aid officer here as well. I cover and counsel students in the MPI Dee Ann Mason Program, an elk in council students in the MPPMPN midcareer programs.
Ilai Soloducho
09:05:07 AM
yes
Basically, today, we're going to give a high level overview of financial aid here at HKS uhm. We will have a question and answer section toward the end of the session, so if you want to hold off on your questions until then. We're going to make sure we get to as many of them as possible and we ask that you keep your jet your questions sort of more general if your questions are very specific to you individually, please contact us.
Individually, after the session and we're more than happy to go over your question with you and in a recording of the session will be available later on this week, so if you missed any part of the session. Feel free to review it again toward the end of the week.
So basically how we view financial aid here at HKS is that it's a partnership between our office and you ask the incoming student and basically that relationship starts before you apply while you're in the act of applying while you're a student here and then beyond when you graduate and basically how we do. That is that we're offering hopefully some very valuable financial assistance. We also provide.
A robust financial Wellness program individual counseling because financial aid and financial situations are very individual.
And therefore it like I said, from before you start the process through while you're a student here and then from when you graduate will be here along the way to help guide you in that process. We also have resources to you to help you find funding in terms of from external sources through our on line financial resources database?
And on your part we expect that you've done your research and homework in terms of finding external resources to cover your funder educational costs that you apply for all aid that you're available here at the Kennedy School.
Amin Karimi Dehnashi
09:06:54 AM
yes
Um that you're working as hard as you can in terms of making a sound financial plan for your time here and minimizing debt and putting together.
Um also as part of your plan to cover your depending cost if you're planning to bring any dependance here with you.
Um so as you can see here we have uh the cost of attendance tuition and fees for the current year. So HKS here. We are, we are schooled actually provides A to international students as well as domestic students. So we definitely encourage you all to submit the financial aid application. But as Katherine mentioned also begin your search early on external resources because this is an investment so.
Just some figures that we have here we generally provide about 20 to 25,000,000 a year and scholarship and fellowship assistance. But the aid is competitive an limited so again. We really want to drive the point home that you should also be thinking of researching external sources.
And then we can move on to the next slide, so as you can see our students finance their education through a variety of ways, particularly for international students. The Fulbright commissions are very popular.
And then also I wanted to mention when submitting the financial aid application. You'll be able. You'll be considered automatically for all our merit based assistance so please. Do apply and then a point highlighted there in blue is our funding resource database. That's a good starting point for all of our students because that's a database of external scholarships that has been put together by.
Cleaning all the resources that previous students have obtained that have come through the Kennedy School. So we know that these organizations are looking for somebody that has like the Harvard Kennedy School profile.
And then again, this is just this is just the main page. Of the funding resource database. So you're able to select criteria. Whether you can filter by international domestic you can filter by affinity country citizenship, etc. So definitely feel free to utilize this resource.
So these are just some important dates for you to be aware of currently our financial aid application is available for you to submit but the caveat to that is that you can only see the financial aid application only after you've submitted your application for admission, so once you've submitted your application for admission, you'll get a notification letting you know that you now have access to the financial aid section and that you'll be able to then complete the application and submit it.
Our process is happening in.
Hopefully in tandem with the admissions process and that we expect our decisions to be released around the same time, but our deadline to submit the application is in early February, so between the time you submit your application for admission.
By December early December, you have until early February to submit our application and as Elkin mentioned our funding is strictly based on merit. We do take need into consideration as a component.
Yasir Dhaeer
09:10:40 AM
I can't hear. Is there no sound?
But fundamentally we assess our aid based on merit and Merican be based on the admissions committees assessment of your application as well as a variety of Research Center funds their idea of merit, maybe based on what?
An applicant's best fit is tored their mission, so there is a variety of different ways of looking at Merritt here at HKS in terms of assessing aid but.
Mary Downs
09:11:26 AM
If you are having technical issues, we recommend refreshing your browser window.
They are all part of our financial aid application. So you'll be able to apply through through our application for a variety of different fellowships, including those offered by research centers here like the Center for public leadership also make note that we only have a one time application for financial assistance. You can only apply for financial aid once.
An not as as you're an incoming student. There is no second year process for applying for financial aid. So, therefore, it's very important that you make sure that you've applied for all our funding that you're eligible for.
Because there aren't there is no other opportunity in which you can do so at a later date.
And then I'll talk a little bit about the loan repayment assistance program that we have here at HKSA student lending and student borrowing is a reality at the Kennedy School and foremost you institutions of higher education so for those students that do end up taking USA based loans. HKS has a program to help you repay those loans. This is just a very high level overview. But if you have any questions, please ask all the information is also.
On our website, the short of it is that you qualify for the program as long as you have a qualifying loan and that you are working in the public sector, which is very broadly defined that could be an international organization. Local government national government, a nonprofit organization and there is a 5 year limit on participation.
Yasir Dhaeer
09:12:58 AM
still no sound
So what can you be doing now as I mentioned earlier?
You should be exploring as many external resource opportunities as you can an leveraging our online resource database as a starting point for that the sooner. You do this, if you're already doing it, great, if you haven't started you can still start now and then go right into preparing your financial plan for while you're here, either if you're here for a year or if you're here for 2 years we can also provide guidance for that, if you need any assistance in putting that together.
Nitin Tonk
09:13:51 AM
I have sound
Hopefully your you can set aside some money and be saving money. If that's possible sometimes it's not as possible, but to do your best to have some money set aside for when you first arrive here and for your time here and we also post a lot of updates and information on our aid or fellowships that may new fellowships that may become available through the admissions blog.
Neha Shrivastav
09:14:04 AM
It is clearly audible
Um outside of that you'll receive emails from our office so please save our our email address. Financialunderscoreaid@hks.harvard.edu as part of your Contacts so that you make sure you can receive our emails and you can always visit our website for additional information on our funding options.
Alfonsina Bagnarelli
09:14:30 AM
Is it possible to work at HKS while studying??
So we can take questions now, so if you want to just type your question into the chat box. We're happy to answer them all right, so we have a 1st question he already is it possible to work at HPS while studying so all of you are presumably international students and there are limitations that you will have based on your visa so typically the student visa categories only allows students to work up to 20 hours per week.
Omayra Chuquihuara Gozalo
09:15:09 AM
Are TAs given any type of credit towards tuition or is it a stipend?
Omayra Chuquihuara Gozalo
09:15:20 AM
related to your current response
While School is in session, an that also means that you will be working inside the schools and one of the departments, perhaps as a teaching assistant or as an office assistant but it's it's a lot more restricted to work outside of HKS like outside of the school and also be studying it's typically if you're in a 2 year program strictly not recommended that you work during your first year as you're going to be adjusting it.
Peter Sarpong
09:15:36 AM
Is HKS able to support international students who are looking to work in public sectors where they need experience and support financially?
Mikia Carter
09:15:41 AM
Where do HKS students usually live? What is the general cost of living per year?
It can be pretty intense, but you do have the ability to do that. If you if you so chose there's a question about whether any teaching assistants are given credit towards tuition.
Omayra Chuquihuara Gozalo
09:16:04 AM
Thanks!
Unfortunately, no all employment on canvas is paid on an hourly rate or a set a set salary. There is no tuition credit. Unfortunately for that it can range from like 15 to 17. I think dollars an hour in terms of payment.
Ayrton de Barros
09:16:19 AM
I would like to know what is the Zuckerman fellowship?
Lucas Braga Machado
09:16:20 AM
Any further information regarding the Lemann Fellowship and Fundação Estudar (for Brazilian students)?
I will answer the question about where HKS students live while we try to figure out the question about Technical Support or the OR the students that need experience and support financially, but where students live for students to live on campus. It's very convenient because the rents usually include all utilities. It's all one fixed monthly price. However, many of our students. Also, if you're looking to save some money as well.
Mikia Carter
09:17:03 AM
Are the fellowships usually fully funded?
Neha Shrivastav
09:17:14 AM
How much % of fees can be provided by Scholarship program at HKS?
Some of our students also live off campus and you know they find roommates. The I will say that generally speaking, Harvard. Housing is more expensive than living off campus. So you just kind of have to make that trade off and you know, there's a lot of resources that will be provided by the admissions office. If you do get admitted to kind of give you an idea of Watt, the best living situation is or what is best for you financially?
And there's a question about what the sacrament fellowship is the sacrament fellowship is a fellowship. It's offered to students who are either either have a another Masters degree there an MBA.
Or, a law degree or are currently pursuing another degree while they're going to be at HKS. Unfortunately, it's only open to you S citizens but it's generally part of our timeline because it has an earlier deadline.
Mikia Carter
09:18:02 AM
Which fellowships are international students considered for?
Omayra Chuquihuara Gozalo
09:18:19 AM
Can students appeal the scholarship they receive if accepted?
Uh there's a question about the Lemon Fellowship and from this house to that for the Brazilian students so the Leman fellowship is actually managed by the comedian general scholarships, which is another. It's another Harvard widebody, so that actually has a separate application. If you have any questions. You can email us and we can give you the link to the comedian general scholarships website and then the second one from the foundation.
Peter Sarpong
09:18:31 AM
Regarding my earlier question - is it possible for HKS to support students to gain experience while making some additional money to support their education? Hope this is clearer
Jaime Aquino
09:18:33 AM
Any popular fellowships for Mexican nationals?
We see Brazilian students at least once per year get that scholarship. We don't have any specific agreements with the foundation. It simply through student effort. They apply and they are successful in getting it. There's a question of whether fellowships are usually fully funded that's a really good question. Typically, there's no standard or average award amount that fellowships provide it can really range from a low amount of like $10,000.
All the way through to half tuition 2 full tuition to tuition plus stipend. It really just depends on the actual scholarship or fellowship.
Jacob Xavier
09:19:23 AM
Is it common for admitted candidates to eventually not accept an HKS offer due to financial issues?
Uh there's a question asking if students can appeal the scholarship, they receive if excepted so our decisions are final if you receive a scholarship for half tuition, then that's the amount that you will receive if you receive full tuition and you're hoping to receive a stipend there is no possibility of amending that.
Let's see which L ships are international students consider for if you visit our website. There's a link to our brochure, which provides a listing of all the fellowships that we offer for both international and domestic students. You can see that funding is pretty much specific to certain countries or certain regions an you can be considered for.
Any fellowship or as many fellowships as you are eligible for as long as you indicate that on the financial aid application.
Um so I'm going to attempt to answer this question is, it possible for HPS to support students again experience while making some additional money to support their education, so as we mentioned earlier. You can work on campus, but each case as the financial aid office is not involved in that process that will be between you and the Department that hires you. There are some opportunities to receive some credit and potentially a paid internship.
In the summer after your first year if you are in a 2 year program. But that depends exclusively on the program and the internship may or may not be paid.
Mikia Carter
09:20:56 AM
For students applying to joint or concurrent degrees with HKS, are they also considered for scholarships/fellowships?
So there any fellowships for Mexican Nationals?
Peter Sarpong
09:21:01 AM
Thank you. That helped.
Vaishnavi Prathap
09:21:20 AM
How is the cost of living vs stipend provided? Is it strictly enough for the individual, how does it affect if there is a dependent?
Yasir Dhaeer
09:21:20 AM
How much can a PhD student make while studying at HKS?
I'm assuming that that's specifically through Harvard and as Elkin mentioned there's a committee of on general scholarships here and there is one that has a relationship with it's called Fundacion, Mexico in Harvard that provides funding specifically to students from Mexico for fellowships outside of Harvard. We have seen we've seen many students have funding from Conacyt.
But that funding has declined overtime so we're not quite sure where that stands right now, but those are those tend to be 2 of the Top.
Sources of funding for Mexican students.
Jaime Aquino
09:21:44 AM
Thanks for answering my question.
Pooja Singh
09:21:47 AM
Is the fee to be paid in advance for the full year or is it semester based?
Amin Karimi Dehnashi
09:21:55 AM
Which funds are available for countries in the Middle East such as Iran?
Um simple question here is the fee to be paid in advance for the full year or is it semester based it is semester based.
Prashant Sharma
09:22:06 AM
You may have addressed it before, but can you please help me understand the LRAP again?
Pooja Singh
09:22:07 AM
Thanks!
Cornelia Pfeffer
09:22:10 AM
Is there any funding for European students?
Paul-Etienne Pini
09:22:25 AM
Which funds are available for European/French citizens?
So there's a question on Joyner concurrent degrees with HKS so basically how those work is that you're applying for financial aid at the school. You're going to be attending too. So let's say you applied to a joint degree between HKS and Harvard Business School. So you would start your program start that joint program here at HKS so you would have applied for funding from us, but in the following year, you would have to be going through.
Idy Sampson
09:22:54 AM
Hi, there, I joined a little late and I'm not sure if this question has already been addressed but I'd like to know if it is possible to take on more than 1 scholarship at the University to cover up all the cost of obtaining your degree
The Business School for their financial aid. There isn't sort of a joint financial aid process between both schools in the same thing would apply if you're doing a concurrent degree outside of Harvard. Let's say if you're with at Wharton. You would have to go through their financial aid process to cover your cost while you're in attendance there.
Mikia Carter
09:23:02 AM
Are there funding options at Harvard/HKS for students from the Caribbean region?
Godwin Chan
09:23:04 AM
Does Ash Centre or other centres offer research positions with stipends while enrolling in HKS?
Manuel Rodriguez
09:23:24 AM
Good morning, how about scholarships for El Salvador citizens?
There's a question about funding for European students and then general generally speaking, or more specifically for French students so there are there are some funds for European students as we mentioned you're encouraged you're encouraged to apply to the financial aid application and you'll be considered for all of our general. Hughes aid, however, for specifically European and French citizens. I recommend visiting the comedian general scholarships website.
Geronimo Alfredo Gerald Crisologo
09:23:47 AM
What happens if an individual gets accepted but fails to source out funding, can the acceptance be deferred the following academic year?
Jin Liu
09:23:49 AM
In the second year of study, can students still apply for scholarship? will there be merit-based scholarship after the first year of study? Thank you!
Because there are some in there for students from the UK from France. Uh I believe Germany also so yeah, just just look on that website and see. And then also just from past experience. Usually, French students also have some funding from Fulbright.
Idy Sampson
09:23:54 AM
I hear you speak about funding for specific countries. Are there such for Nigerian students as I'm not sure I found that while looking through the website
Yasir Dhaeer
09:24:03 AM
I am from Pakistan. How can i fund my PhD and my dependent family at the same time while studying at HKS?
Peter Sarpong
09:24:22 AM
Is there priority given to students who have applied multiple entry years for funding?
Let's see, there was a question about funds for for countries from the Middle East. We do have specific Middle East fellowships. You can find more information on that on our website in our brochure. We don't have anything just specific to Iran. But we do have funding for students from the Middle East.
I believe that I believe there was a question about PhD funding. Unfortunately, that is this session is for master level. Students only pH. DS are handled through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. So we actually do not have any information on that.
Neha Shrivastav
09:25:04 AM
Looks like I missed answer to this question.....................Is the fee to be paid in advance for the full year or is it semester based?
So there was a question about about second year funding in that you.
Whether you can apply for any scholarships and as I mentioned previously. Unfortunately, there is no second here process for applying for financial aid.
Godwin Chan
09:25:16 AM
Any specific funding source for Canadian students?
The only opportunity you have to apply for financial aid will be upon your initial enrollment to HKS so if you're applying for Twenty Twenty Twenty twenty one that will be the only time in which you can apply for financial aid.
So there's a question about if there is priority given to students who have applied multiple years.
Idy Sampson
09:25:51 AM
I think you missed my question on whether or not it is possible to take on more than 1 scholarship at the university to cover up all the cost of obtaining your degree
The short answer to that is no each time your application. If you apply again. Your application will be looked at differently. So yeah, there's there's no consideration given if you've applied before.
So uh I think there. There was a question again about whether or not you can pay the pay tuition in advance for the year or is semester based so basically tuition and mandatory fees are charged on a semester basis and that's when you would be required to make payment but if you wanted to make a full your payment up front, you can also do that. That's up to you, we don't require that.
And I think there is also a question on whether it's possible to to get or receive more than one scholarship from the University.
Typically, that's really very rare.
Just because the funding is very limited.
And that you know, there are varying sources and how they look at and how they will assess how how students will fit for their research centers will see which students will fit their particular mission. But if there is a case in which there are situations where student has received more than one scholarship. We will make the determination on which scholarship that student will receive in the end.
Idy Sampson
09:27:23 AM
I hear you speak about funding for specific countries. Are there such for Nigerian students as I'm not sure I found that while looking through the website
Neha Shrivastav
09:27:29 AM
For Mid Career Mason Program.. the fee is provided for the entire year or semester based?
Evelyn Nyarko
09:27:55 AM
Since payment of fees is semester based, can the financial certification also be semester based as well?
Uh the question about specific scholarship scholarships for Nigerian students. I don't believe we have any specifically right now and just to clarify as far as like the questions were We've had a lot of questions where people are asking if there are like specific country based scholarships. That's all dependent on the donors that we have and so I don't think as of yet we've had a donor from Nigeria set of fund specifically aside for Nigerian students and so for these students.
When when for those students that don't see a scholarship specifically directed to their country of citizenship. And then you'll just be considered for the General Merit based financial aid at the Kennedy School offers.
Idy Sampson
09:28:11 AM
Thank you for the response. It was really helpful
Oh, so there's a follow-up question about the Midcareer Mason program whether tuition fees are for the entire euro semester based all programs. All degree programs are charged on a semester basis. There is no difference between one or the other.
So and then in relation to that whether or not financial certification can also be semester based.
Financial certification is a part of a process we do in conjunction with the US government, the US government require students to show proof of funding for their program so we can't issue a visa document unless the total cost of attendance is shown to us so Unfortunately. We can't split that in between the semesters. It would have to be for the entire year.
Prashant Sharma
09:29:14 AM
Hi, if its in the scope of this discussion, is it possible to explain the LRA program?
Mikia Carter
09:29:25 AM
What is the average aid given to students?
Lucas Braga Machado
09:29:27 AM
How do GMAT grades affect the merit-based assessment? Would you say that is one of the major sources of leverage?
Yeah, so just the L draft program and I believe this is the last question will take. But yes, so it's a program if you have loans if you've taken out loans to attend the Kennedy School. This program will help you after you graduate. It'll help you repay the loans based on your income and the main criteria for participating in the program is that you are working in the public sector.
OK, thank you all for your questions. I know we couldn't get to all of them but.
Prashant Sharma
09:29:59 AM
thank you for answering!
Alfonsina Bagnarelli
09:30:01 AM
Thank you!!!
Lucas Braga Machado
09:30:07 AM
OK... Thanks!
Sebastian Kohnen
09:30:12 AM
Thank you very much!
Paul-Etienne Pini
09:30:12 AM
Thank you! Cheers!
Karolina Naranjo Velasco
09:30:12 AM
Thank you!
We're not going anywhere, you can always reach out to us directly you can use our email as posted on the slide right in front of us here. So definitely contact us and we are more than happy to provide more information and specific information related to you.
Mikia Carter
09:30:21 AM
Thank you
Geronimo Alfredo Gerald Crisologo
09:30:23 AM
Thanks to you both.
Jin Liu
09:30:26 AM
Thank you!
Neha Shrivastav
09:30:30 AM
Thanks! It was helpful
Peter Sarpong
09:30:33 AM
thank you
Pooja Singh
09:30:38 AM
Thanks!
Jacob Xavier
09:30:38 AM
Thank you!
Ayrton de Barros
09:30:44 AM
Thanks for your time :)
Yasir Dhaeer
09:30:53 AM
Thanks a lot