In addition to the suggestions below, students can serve as resident advisors (freshman proctors or house tutors); find teaching positions at the University or in the Cambridge/Boston area; or consider opportunities at the Harvard University Student Employment Office.
Student Loans
For those unable to utilize federal loan programs, Harvard University has compiled information about private loan programs available for both US citizens and international students.
Veterans Benefits
Harvard University extends a special welcome to students who are veterans of the US armed forces. Students who are eligible for veteran and military benefits should procure a Certificate of Eligibility from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Once the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid has received your Certificate of Eligibility and Notice of Student Enrollment forms, we will work with the VA to activate your educational benefits.
Student Center Fellows
Student Center Fellows organize intellectual, cultural, athletic, and social activities at the graduate student center in Lehman Hall and in the Cambridge and Boston area. Fellows work closely with administrators and each other to engender a sense of community and enrich graduate student life.
Fellows may receive up to 10 meals per week in the Commons at Lehman Hall dining hall, guaranteed housing in a Harvard Griffin GSAS residence hall if they wish to live in one, and a stipend. Assistant fellows may receive a small stipend as compensation. Applications for fellow positions are available in January for the following academic year.
Resident Advisors
Resident advisors (RAs) are 15 graduate student members of the Office of Student Affairs team who live on each floor of the four residence halls. RAs help students adjust to the Harvard community, aid in emergency situations, and serve as liaisons with the administration. Applicants must be degree candidates in good academic standing and must have lived for at least one term in a Harvard Griffin GSAS residence hall. Compensation includes a free room and a weekday lunch and dinner meal contract at the Student Center at Harvard Griffin GSAS Café.
PhD Payroll Transition Loan
Important: PhD students who transition from a PhD living assistance stipend (paid on the first of the month) to a salaried student Research Assistant (RA) appointment payroll may experience about a month and a half gap between payments. This transition from stipend to salaried RA is most common for PhD students in the natural sciences.
Harvard Griffin GSAS is partnering with the Harvard Federal Credit Union (Harvard FCU) to offer the PhD payroll transition loan program. The PhD payroll transition loan program offers a short-term zero percent interest loan to eligible PhD students experiencing a short-term cash flow financial hardship due to this transition. Please find eligibility criteria, guidelines, and details for this loan program here.