JD/MBA Financial Information

The JD/MBA program is a cost-saving program for students interested in pursuing both a JD and an MBA by reducing what would be a five-year degree program to four years. If you are enrolled in the JD/MBA program, your first two years are spent in full-time study at each of the two schools. During your third and fourth years, you will be enrolled in both the Law School and the Business School.

Detailed program information can be found on the Academic Degrees Program page.

Please note that financial aid processes and funding will differ between schools. Be sure to consult with each school’s aid office when considering any joint degree program.

Financial Aid Information

  • Application Process

    The Law School Student Financial Services Office will process your aid for the year you are full-time at the Law School and in the fourth year of the joint program. The Business School will process your aid application for the year you are full-time at the Business School and in the third year of the program. The chart below demonstrates the two possible scenarios for all four years in the JD/MBA program.

    SCENARIO 1

    YEAR IN ATTENDANCE SCHOOL IN ATTENDANCE SCHOOL PROCESSING AID
    Year 1 Law School Law School
    Year 2 Business School Business School
    Year 3 Law School & Business School Business School
    Year 4 Law School & Business School Law School

    SCENARIO 2

    YEAR IN ATTENDANCE SCHOOL IN ATTENDANCE SCHOOL PROCESSING AID
    Year 1 Business School Business School
    Year 2 Law School Law School
    Year 3 Law School & Business School Business School
    Year 4 Law School & Business School Law School
  • Your Student Budget

    In your third and fourth years of this program, your budget will be adjusted to reflect the costs associated with your degree. In both your third and fourth years, you will be charged 65% HLS tuition and 40% HBS tuition. The Law School will also give you a JD/MBA budget increase in your fourth year for extra expenses related to your joint degree program, however, this budget increase is not eligible for grant assistance. A sample budget for students completing the final year of this program, using the 2023-2024 academic year budget is below:

    HOW TO CALCULATE AMOUNT FOR 2024-25
    Tuition: 65% of HLS tuition* $50,115
    40% of HBS tuition* $30,564
    Fees: Full UHS Fee $1,592
    Harvard Student Heath Insurance Plan $4,202
    Program Fee $750
     Other: 65% of HLS Books/Supplies $1,088
    40% of HBS Program Support Fee $1,060
    Full HLS Housing/Food/Personal $29,681
    Full HLS Transportation $1,750
     JD/MBA Allowance HBS Housing, Food, Personal + Transportation – HLS Housing, Food, Personal + Transportation $2,568
    Total Budget $123,370
    Total HLS Grant Eligible Budget   $120,802

    The JD/MBA Allowance of $2,568 is not eligible for grant assistance; only the grant eligible budget is used to determine a student’s eligibility for HLS Grant.

    *Tuition percentages are correlated to the number of courses required for each degree.

  • Budget Adjustments Due to Health Insurance Waiver

    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, the allowance will not be given, and the total student budget will be reduced by the amount of the plan fee. This means that if you are an HLS grant recipient, your HLS grant will be reduced by the fee amount as well.

    Students may request, upon appeal, to have the documented cost of an alternate health insurance plan, for which the student pays, be added to the student’s budget.

  • Cash Advances and Refunds

    If you are eligible for a cash advance or a refund, you will receive it after you have registered (1Ls have the additional requirement of a completed entrance interview). All cash advance and refund checks are mailed to the official address on file with the Registrar’s Office unless you have direct deposit set up with the Student Accounts Office.

  • Summer Work Requirement

    You will be held to the same summer work requirement as other Law School Students. See the Student Resources from Income section for details on the summer work requirement.

  • 4th Year Student Loan Repayment Information Requirement

    Graduation Requirement: In April of your last semester at HLS we will contact you regarding a Student Loan Repayment, or Exit Counseling session. This session is required for all graduating students who have borrowed loans while attending law school. There will be a group exit session where you will receive details related to the repayment of your student loans.  You may choose to fulfill the attendance requirement of this session either with HLS or HBS, however both schools may require you to complete other, loan-specific exit counseling documents online.