Berkeley Exchange Financial Information

Financial Aid Information

• Financial Aid Application Process

  If you are approved for the program, you will spend your third year at Berkeley enrolled as a Berkeley Exchange student. HLS Student Financial Services will be responsible for processing your financial aid as you will still be considered a Harvard Law School student. You will apply for aid  in the same manner as in your previous years here at HLS.

• Your Student Account

  You will receive two bills: one from Harvard and one from Berkeley.

  • On your Harvard bill, you will be charged the full HLS tuition minus the Berkeley Exchange program fee, which for the 2024-2025 academic year is $3,466 (or $1,733 per semester.) Additionally, Harvard will charge you both the Harvard University Health Service fee (HUHS) and the Harvard Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP a.k.a. Blue Cross/Blue Shield) fee. In order to waive the Health Service fee (HUHS) you will need to take action and contact the Harvard University insurance office. If you have appropriate medical coverage, you may also waive the Harvard Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP) fee by going to the same web site.
    • Please note that under Federal student aid regulations, an allowance for the Harvard Student Health Insurance Plan may be included in the student’s budget only for students who enroll in the plan. For students who waive this coverage and instead take Berkeley’s insurance, the budget will be adjusted to the amount charged by Berkeley. Students may request, on appeal, to have the documented cost of an alternate health insurance plan for which the student pays added to the student’s budget. We will not cover two insurance charges if you forget to waive the ones offered by Harvard and are paying the one offered by Berkeley.
  • Your Berkeley bill will consist of five budget categories: the class pass, the campus fee, the law materials fee, the Student Services fee and the non-waivable Berkeley institutional health insurance for a total of $3,466 (or $1,733 per semester.)

  If your HLS financial aid (grant and/or loans) exceeds your HLS billed expenses on your Harvard student account, you can email us at sfs@law.harvard.edu and request that a payment be made to Berkeley for the exchange program fee ($1,733 per semester in 2024-25.) We will cut a check to Berkeley in mid-August and again in mid-January, in time to meet your payment deadlines. You will need to pay Berkeley directly for any other charges incurred by them, such as dormitory, board, etc.

• Your Student Budget

  Your standard student budget will be increased by $1,500 to compensate for the extra expenses related to this program of study. This increase is eligible for grant assistance, if applicable. Your HLS tuition category will be lowered by the amount of the Berkeley fee.  Additionally, a new budget category called Program Fee, will be added to your budget in the same amount that your HLS tuition was reduced. The example below is based on 2024-25 information.

  2024-25 STANDARD HLS STUDENT BUDGET		2024-25 BERKELEY EXCHANGE BUDGET
  Tuition	$77,100	Tuition	$73,634
  Harvard Health fee	$1,592*	Berkeley Health fee	Included in Berkeley Exchange Fee*
  Harvard Health Insurance	$4,202*	Berkeley Insurance	$6,442*
  Books & Supplies	$1,675	Books & Supplies	$1,675
  Housing/Food/Personal	$29,681	Housing/Food/Personal	$29,681
  Trasportation	$1,750	Transportation	$1,750
  		Berkeley Exchange Program Fee	$3,466
  		Berkeley Allowance	$1,500
  Total:	$116,000	Total:	$118,148*

  *The total budget amount will decrease if a student waives one or both of the Harvard and/or Berkeley health insurances. Students who waive their Harvard University Student Health fee will also see a decrease in their overall budget. Berkeley’s Health fee is included in the exchange program fee.

• Student Resources and Summer Work Requirement

  You will be held to the same work requirement the summer before you enroll at Berkeley as in previous years. See the Student Resources from Income section of this web site for details on the summer work requirement.

• Cash Advances and Refunds

  If you are eligible to receive a cash advance, you will receive it in mid-August and mid-December. All students in the exchange program are required to have direct deposit set up with the Student Accounts Office in order to receive their cash advance and refunds via the direct deposit system. If you have not yet set up direct deposit, please log in to your student account and follow the direct deposit enrollment instructions here.

• Other Considerations

  • Mandatory Meeting: You will need to attend a meeting with Student Financial Services prior to leaving HLS  at the end of your 2L year.
  • Graduation Requirements: In April of your last semester at Berkeley, we will contact you regarding a Student Loan Repayment Session. Attendance at this online session is required for all graduating students who have borrowed during their enrollment at HLS.

  For more program-specific details, contact the Dean of Students Office.