Semester in Washington D.C. Financial Information

Financial Aid Information

• Financial Aid Application Process

  In most cases, you will have already applied for aid prior to your semester in D.C. and may only need to inquire about additional assistance if your student budget allows. Regardless of when you apply for aid, the financial aid process doesn’t change for students in this program. You will apply for financial aid in the same manner as in previous years. See the Apply for Financial Aid section of our website for details on the process.

• Your Student Account

  The Law School will charge you regular Harvard Law School tuition for your Semester in Washington D. C. Additionally, you will be charged the regular University Health Services fee as well as the Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance fee. In order to waive one or both of these fees for your spring semester, you will need to contact the Harvard University Insurance Office. NOTE: If you do not take action to waive one or both of these fees by the cancellation due date, you may be required to pay the fees in full. The insurance programs are structured to cover you from August through January for the Fall and Winter semesters, and February through July for the spring semester.

  Please note that under federal and institutional student aid regulations, an allowance for both the Harvard University Health fee and the Harvard Student Health Insurance Plan, may be included in your student budget only if you are enrolled in the plan. If you waive coverage, the allowance will not be given and your total student budget (and HLS grant assistance if eligible) will be reduced by one or both of the plan fee amounts.

• Your Student Budget

  Your student budget will be increased by $1,500 to compensate for the additional travel and personal expenses related to your semester in Washington D.C. You may receive HLS grant assistance (if already an HLS grant recipient), Clinical Office reimbursement, or take a loan for this increase, however, you may not draw from more than one of these resources. Additionally, you’ll need to keep in mind that the financial aid program is not able to assist students who pay rent in two locations, therefore, it is very important to think about your housing arrangements prior to committing to the Semester in Washington D. C. program.

• Student Resources and Summer Work Requirement

  You will be held to the same summer work requirement 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

  Second semester cash advances and refunds are disbursed in mid-December.  If you’re an HLS grant recipient, the $1500 grant increase will not be included in the mid-December deposits.  Students who qualify for additional HLS grant will receive an email informing them of their eligibility and a second direct deposit will be made during the month of January.  Any student who does not qualify for HLS grant assistance can work with the Clinical Office for limited travel expenses and/or may borrow additional funds.

• Other Considerations

  You will be held to the same bill payment schedule as all other HLS students. In most cases students’ accounts will already be paid in full by the spring semester, however, you need to be sure that you have enough financial aid credits to cover the student bill, or make all the necessary payment arrangements prior to leaving for your semester in Washington D.C. 3Ls will also need to attend a Student Loan Repayment with one of our staff members prior to being cleared for graduation exercises.

  For more program-specific details, refer to the Semester in Washington D.C.  web site or contact Maggie Bay in the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs.