Harvard University, founded in 1636 in Massachusetts, is one of the oldest universities in the US. There are many students who desire to walk on the grounds and breathe in the intellectual environment of Harvard University. Those who choose the US as their higher studies destination, they usually prepare for Harvard University. It is ranked 2nd best university in the US and 3rd best university in the QS World Rankings.

It is a community that welcomes students from all over the world. It is one of the best in terms of courses provided as well as in terms of funding the studies of students with excellent academics.

Indian students can apply for a Harvard University scholarship to pursue a variety of programmes at Harvard. The university has established a special committee for General Scholarships, which is in charge of disbursing financial help to students who require it. A Harvard University scholarship is an excellent method to further your education at the graduate, post-graduate, or doctoral level. Financial help is available at the institution in the form of loans, scholarships, and student employment.

📌Verified 2026 Updates: Starting the 2025-26 academic year, Harvard is completely free for students from families earning under USD 100,000 annually, including Indian students. Families earning up to USD 200,000 receive free tuition with additional aid. Harvard's 2025-26 cost of attendance is USD 86,926 (tuition USD 59,320 plus housing, food, services and health insurance). Around 55 percent of students receive scholarship aid and 25 percent attend completely free.

What Is the Harvard University Fee Structure for Indian Students in 2026?

⚡ Quick Answer

Harvard University's published fee for the 2025-26 academic year is USD 59,320 in undergraduate tuition, with a total cost of attendance of USD 86,926 including housing, food, services and health insurance. Graduate tuition averages USD 57,328 for the first two years. Health insurance for 2026-27 is USD 4,954 unless covered through family plans.

Students are needed to register instantly from the time they enter a course of study till they receive their degree. nonresident students with Leave of Absence or Traveling Scholar are charged, at minimum, the active fee status for phd and masters students are given below (see the chart below).

Full Tuition fee – Required first two years of study in Harvard University is $49,448. Reduced Tuition fee – Required third and fourth years of study in Harvard University is 12,858. Facilities Fee – Required post-fourth year of study in Harvard University is 3,272. Active File Fee – Minimum charge for approved nonresident status in Harvard University is 300.

Harvard University Student Health Plan charge for Student: 1,206

What Harvard University Scholarships Are Available for Indian Students?

⚡ Quick Answer

Harvard offers 100 percent need-based aid to all admitted students including Indians in 2026. Starting 2025-26, families earning under USD 100,000 pay nothing, and families up to USD 200,000 receive free tuition. Around 55 percent of students receive scholarship aid and 25 percent attend Harvard completely free, regardless of nationality or citizenship.

For the students with family income between $65,000 – $ 150,000 a year, they have to pay up to 10% of their total income according to the family circumstances. That will be approx. $ 15,000 per year based on total family income and financial circumstances.

Students with a family income of more than $ 150,000 a year are expected to pay more than 10% but the exact amount differs from student to student based on their family income. The financial aid provided by the Harvard University helps hundreds of students to fulfill their desire of studying in the US.

The scholarship amount is based on the family income of the students evidently the students with a family income of $65,000 or less per year receive a fully-funded scholarship for undergraduate international students. It covers tuition, fees, room, and board. The students have pay only for attendance.

Here is the list of Harvard scholarship name and their scholarship application is given below:

Scholarship Name (2026)How to Apply
Harvard Need-Based Scholarship (Undergraduate)Auto-considered when you apply via Common Application, Coalition App or Universal College App. Submit CSS Profile and HFAA by February 14.
HGSE Financial Aid (Graduate School of Education)Apply via the official HGSE Financial Aid application page on the Harvard Graduate School of Education website during your degree application.
HBS Need-Based Scholarship (MBA)Submitted via the HBS Financial Aid portal. Awards range USD 46,000 to USD 92,000 over two years for ~50 percent of admitted students.
Boustany Foundation MBA Harvard ScholarshipExternal scholarship covering 75 percent of tuition. Send documents to admissions@boustany-foundation.org after meeting eligibility.
Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation ScholarshipExternal scholarship for Indian students. Apply directly via the Inlaks Foundation website with academic transcripts and SOP.
Tata Scholarship at HarvardApplies to Indian undergraduates. Auto-considered when applying for Harvard need-based aid; demonstrates strong financial need with Tata trust funding.

Harvard University Scholarship For Indian Students

Harvard University scholarship offers variety of opportunities for Indian students to review numerous programmes at Harvard. The university has shaped a particular committee of General scholarships that handles the disbursement of financial aid to students Who want it.

Harvard scholarship may be a good thing to pursue your graduate, post-graduate, or a Ph.D. programme. The university offers the scholarship in numerous forms like loans, scholarships, and student employment.

The Harvard university scholarships is classified into four sections specifically prospective students, prospective international students, current (enrolled) students, and current (enrolled) international students. Prospective international students have to be compelled to apply for prospective international students' scholarships. except this, there are alternative eligibility criteria for applying for a scholarship.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Looking for more US scholarship options?

Learn More

What Are the Harvard University Admission Requirements for Indian Students?

⚡ Quick Answer

Harvard's 2026 admission requirements for Indian students include strong Class 12 results, the Common Application or Coalition Application, USD 85 application fee (or waiver), recommendation letters and essays. SAT/ACT and IELTS or TOEFL scores are accepted but optional under Harvard's test-optional policy. Indian applicants face a 3 to 4 percent admission rate at Harvard College.

There are not any additional process for Harvard admission needs Indian students, apart from the standardized English language test, that is needed for all international candidates.

Submit the form with required fee. Also Submit their GRE/SAT/GMAT score, TOEFL score, college marksheets, recommendation letters. Some Harvard faculties even have further needs like resume, portfolio or interview.

So let’s check the list of Harvard admission requirements one by one;

  1. First Digital application
  2. Application fee
  3. English test score
  4. TOEFL score
  5. Transcripts
  6. SOP ( statement of purpose )
  7. Recommendation letter
  8. Resume
  9. Portfolio
  10. Interview

How Do You Apply for a Harvard University Scholarship?

⚡ Quick Answer

Harvard auto-considers all admitted students for need-based scholarships in 2026 — there is no separate scholarship application. Indian applicants must submit the CSS Profile and Harvard Financial Aid Application (HFAA) by February 14, alongside the regular admission application via Common App, Coalition or Universal App. The need-blind policy means financial aid does not affect admission decisions.

Applying to the Harvard University Scholarship requires the same process as any other application form. You can apply for a scholarship program at the time of admission, you just need to write a short mail or fee waiver form can do the work.

Here is the step by step instructions on how to apply for Harvard University:

First of all, prepare the Common Application, the Universal College Application, or the Coalition Application. Any of the three will do the same work. Students should be ready with the relevant documents and submit those with the application form. Be early in submitting the application to get early consideration against the application. The students get a longer time for applying for Fall 2026 so they should arrange all the documents related within the given time. It is better to arrange the documents before applying for admission. Documents required to be submitted are:

  • Application form (Common Application, Universal College Application or Coalition Application)
  • Personal Statement
  • $75 application fee or fee waiver form
  • ACT or SAT with writing
  • Two SAT subject test (waivered if you are in financial hardship)
  • School Reports
  • Mid-Year school report
  • Evaluations from two teachers.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Planning your budget for a US MBA?

Learn More

How Much Does a Harvard MBA Cost for Indian Students in 2026?

⚡ Quick Answer

Harvard Business School's 2025-26 MBA tuition is USD 78,700 per year, with a total two-year cost of attendance around USD 253,072 (about INR 2.1 crore). Around 50 percent of HBS students receive need-based scholarships averaging USD 46,000 to 92,000 over two years. Indian applicants typically need GMAT 700+ and three to seven years of work experience.

How Does the Harvard University Financial Aid Program Work?

⚡ Quick Answer

Harvard's financial aid program is fully need-based with no merit scholarships in 2026. Aid covers tuition, housing, food and health insurance for families demonstrating need. Term-time work expectations are 10 to 12 hours per week. Outside awards can replace term-time or summer earnings. Financial aid officers re-evaluate awards if family circumstances change during enrollment.

Harvard University ensures that all the students who wish to study there get proper financial aid so that finance could no longer be a barrier between the desire and their studies. They provide a scholarship for all four years or as per the duration of the course selected.

There is no difference with regards to financial aid between the international students and the domestic students. Each of them gets a fair chance of getting scholarships according to their family income and financial circumstances. Approximately 70% of the students receive financial aid in one form or another and approximately 60% of the students received need-based scholarships and have to pay only an average of $12000 per year. This helps a lot of students they no longer have to indulge in taking loans or any kind of financial support from outside.

The best part of the Harvard University scholarship program is that the financial aid is entirely based on the need of the student and not on the merits. They believe that financial needs should not be a hindrance to the opportunity of admissions. Their belief has helped a lot of students to shape their career in the way they wanted. The financial aid officers work closely with the families of students to determine the aid required and how much a family can contribute. Many families can provide financial aid ranging between 0 to 10% of their family income. The students are also asked to contribute to the cost of attendance through term-time and summer employment.

Term-time work requires working up to 10 to 12 hours per week. Nearly 20% of the students work to pay their cost of admission.

Outside awards act as a substitute for the Term-time work portion of the student. It may also replace summer earnings contribution however this cannot replace parent contribution.

The financial aid officers can re-evaluate your financial aid decision if the parents request so. If there’s any change in the circumstances of the students then also the parents can ask for a re-evaluation of the award amount.

The students can also share about $6 million funds along with other 1300 undergraduates. This funding is sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships and 40 other departments. The students can be part of research under the supervision of faculties.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Want to see other US universities that accept IELTS for MBA?

Learn More

Who Is Eligible for Financial Aid at Harvard University?

⚡ Quick Answer

Eligibility for Harvard financial aid in 2026 is purely need-based and applies to all students regardless of citizenship. Families with annual income below USD 100,000 contribute nothing toward Harvard costs. Families earning USD 100,000 to 200,000 receive free tuition. Home equity and retirement assets are excluded from need calculations, ensuring access for moderate-income Indian families.

The Harvard financial aid initiative that is the financial aid program by Harvard University aims to make the university accessible to any student who is admitted or willing to admit. This financial initiative is usually for low and middle-income students and is provided with the motive of raising awareness of the affordability of Harvard University.

This program requires no contribution from the families with annual income below 65000 dollars and it covers about 20% of the families with no parent contribution families with income between $65,000 and $150,000 contributes from 0 to 10% of their income and those with income above $150,000 are asked to pay proportionately more than 10% based on their income and individual circumstances.

No family is asked to pay home equity and retirement assets as the cost of admission at Harvard. The only eligibility required to receive this financial aid is that the student should get acceptance at the university. Other than that no other criteria are required to be fulfilled.

Mention below the eligibility criteria for Scholarship in

Scholarship Name (2026)Eligibility Criteria
Harvard Need-Based Aid (Undergraduate)No income cutoff. Aid is need-based and need-blind. Families under USD 100,000 pay zero. Up to USD 200,000 get free tuition. CSS Profile and HFAA required.
HBS Need-Based FellowshipTOEFL 109+ / IELTS 7.5+ / PTE 75+. Strong GMAT or GRE. Demonstrated financial need with no minimum work experience requirement.
HGSE Financial AidOpen to students pursuing Ed.L.D., Ed.M. or Ph.D. programs at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Need-based with priority to high-impact career goals.
Boustany MBA ScholarshipIndian students admitted to HBS MBA program. Strong academic record and demonstrated leadership. 75 percent tuition coverage plus internship support.
Inlaks Foundation ScholarshipIndian citizens under 30 with strong academic record. Covers tuition, living costs and one-way airfare for graduate programs.
Tata ScholarshipIndian undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. Awarded after admission based on Harvard need analysis. No separate application required.

What Does Harvard University Cost After Financial Aid in 2026?

⚡ Quick Answer

After financial aid, the actual Harvard cost for 2026 varies dramatically by family income. Indian students from families earning under USD 100,000 yearly attend free, including tuition, housing and meals. Average financial aid packages range USD 55,000 to 65,000 (about INR 46 to 54 lakh). Most aided students pay only their work-study contribution of USD 3,500 yearly.

The tuition fees at Harvard University is quite high for the native as well as international students. It can cost $44,900 just for tuition other than that, $3,950 as fees, $10,300 for room and $6,630 for the board. The total cost per year including tuition, fees, room, board, etc. around $65,600. This is the total for pursuing masters at Harvard, the tuition for graduation is $50,000 for a year. The tuition fees may vary depending on the area of study.

This cost is not affordable for many students and for those, the university provides scholarships to cover most of the expenses. There are scholarship programs that are fully funded for the domestic as well as international students.

What Courses Are Available at Harvard University?

⚡ Quick Answer

Harvard offers over 1,300 courses across 12 schools in 2026, including Harvard College, Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Kennedy School. Indian students can pursue undergraduate degrees in 50+ majors like Economics, Computer Science and Government, plus graduate programs in MBA, MS, MA, MPH, JD and PhD across multiple disciplines.

There are more than 1300 courses at Harvard University for MS. The university provides MA, MBA, M. Tech, MSc, MS, etc., for various disciplines. You can learn technical, managerial, biological, psychological aspects there. The students select the discipline to study and to complete their research in.

The students have a lot of subjects to choose from their concentration subject. They opt for literature, arts, science, social science, sociology, anthropology, paleontology, astronomy, linguistics, applied mathematics, applied science, biochemistry, and so on.

Here is a list of top majors available at Harvard University:

  1. Anthropology
  2. Applied Mathematics
  3. Astrophysics
  4. Biomedical Engineering
  5. Chemical and Physical Biology
  6. Chemistry
  7. Chemistry and Physics
  8. Comparative Literature
  9. Computer Science
  10. Earth and Planetary Sciences
  11. East Asian Studies
  12. Economics
  13. Electrical Engineering
  14. Engineering Sciences
  15. English
  16. Environmental Science and Engineering
  17. Environmental Science and Public Policy
  18. Germanic Languages and Literature
  19. History
  20. History and Literature
  21. History and Science
  22. History of Art and Architecture
  23. Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  24. Human Evolutionary Biology
  25. Integrative Biology
  26. Linguistics
  27. Mathematics
  28. Mechanical Engineering
  29. Molecular and Cellular Biology
  30. Music
  31. Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
  32. Neurobiology
  33. Philosophy
  34. Physics
  35. Psychology
  36. Social Studies
  37. Sociology

Harvard Business School, a part of Harvard University is among the finest business schools around the world. The students can study MBA or MMA in any discipline desired. The subjects provided are –

  • Financial Management
  • Human Resource Management
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Retail Management
  • Marketing
  • Banking
  • Financial Institutions

The eligibility to get admissions for a course in MS is that the candidate should have completed a 4-year degree program or graduation in any discipline. Other than that Harvard accepts those students only who are 26 years of age or above with working experience of 3-4 years.

There tons of opportunities after you complete your MS at Harvard University. The students get designated posts anywhere they want. They are considered as the best brains in the world. Because they not only work on academics but also on the Co-curricular activities of the students to build an overall personality of the students.

The main aim of rewarding scholarships to international students is to aware of aspirants how affordable studying at Harvard University is. The cost of studying is so affordable that anyone can enroll there. You just need the spirit to learn and to outgrow yourselves to be a part of the world’s best university. As the Fall semester, 2026 is arriving the students who have applied for the university to know how accessible the university is. Buckle up yourselves for the best journey of your academic career and be ready to learn everything you can.