Step 4: Resolve Your Account Balance and Access Funds for Living Expenses

Steps to Resolve Your Balance and Access Funds for Living Expenses

• Understanding Billing at Harvard University

  • Harvard Law School’s Student Financial Services Office determines financial aid and ensures that students have resolved their account balance required to participate in class registration & graduation. Student accounts are processed by Harvard University’s central Student Financial Services Office, located on the 8th floor of the Smith Campus Center.
  • Student Account notices are emailed to you on the 10th and 25th of each month unless you have a zero amount due. Charges are billed once a semester, except for Harvard University Housing rent, which bills monthly. Your anticipated financial aid credits for the academic year are divided in half and offset the charges on your student account. For more information, please visit the Student Accounts section of our website.
• Your First Student Account Notice

  • Charges for the fall term will be posted in July. In late July, you will receive a student account notice from the central University Student Financial Services Office via your official HLS email account that you can login to view your student account balance. Entering students: Your student account cannot be accessed until you receive your first student account notice. Your student account can be accessed at https://my.harvard.edu.
  • Students who are admitted after July student account notices are sent out (including all transfer students) MUST work directly with HLS Student Financial Services to ensure their outstanding charges are resolved in time for fall registration. All students must have either paid or secured enough financial aid in order to cover all charges posted to their student account prior to being allowed to register for fall classes.
  • All secured financial aid that appears in the SFS Self-Service Portal on the Budget and Eligibility page as of July 24th will be reflected as anticipated financial aid credits on your student account.  In general, you should expect to see half of your total academic year charges and half of your total financial aid for the academic year on your student account.
  • Shortly after the first student account notice is sent, HLS Student Financial Services office will begin the fall semester financial clearance process and regularly communicate with all J.D. students with outstanding balances. Students can view their financial clearance status at any time in the SFS Self-Service Portal on the Financial Clearance page.
• Fall Registration

  All students must resolve their student account balance to be financially cleared and participate in fall registration. This means that you need to ensure that your student account balance is paid in full by August 15th, either via anticipated financial aid credits, a payment, or a combination of both. The following will occur if satisfactory payment arrangements are not made with Student Financial Services prior to Fall Registration:

  • You will not be able to participate in Fall Registration or the Course Add/Drop process.
  • You will not be eligible to receive a cash advance/refund check for living expenses (if applicable).
  • A late fee of $250 will also be assessed and posted to your student account.
• Accessing Financial Aid Funds for Living Expenses

  If your anticipated fall financial aid credits exceed the total of the fall charges on your student account, you will be eligible for a fall cash advance that can be used for living expenses. Entering Students may also qualify for an early Books and Supplies advance.

  Cash advances are automatically processed by SFS based on the timeline listed in the Fall Registration Checklist.

  We encourage ALL students to sign up for Direct Deposit to access their cash advance or other credits on their account in the most efficient way.