The standard student budget applies to all students without children. The student budget for students with children varies depending on each family’s circumstances. Factors include the number of adults in the household, if a married student’s spouse is also a full-time student, and the number of children in the household.
The sample student budgets provided below presume a child born before June 1 of the academic year. If your child will be born after June 1 of the academic year, please see the Special Circumstances webpage about adding a new family member mid-Academic Year.
Married with Children, Spouse is not a Full-Time Student
For those with multiple children, in the table below consider the amounts allocated for housing above the standard $18,000. The overall amount for a multiple-child household would be cumulative, per child, based on their ages; e.g., a student with two children — one 3 and one 5 — would see a housing budget of $18,000 + $14,423 + $9,754.
| Budget for marred student with 1 or more children | Child up to age 3 | Child aged 4-5 | Child aged 6-13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $77,100 | $77,100 | $77,100 |
| Mandatory HUHS Student Health Fee | $1,592 | $1,592 | $1,592 |
| Total Direct Costs: | $78,692 | $78,692 | $78,692 |
| Harvard University Student Health Insurance Plan (HUSHIP) Fee* | $4,202 | $4,202 | $4,202 |
| Housing | $32,423 | $27,754 | $21,060 |
| Food | $6,131 | $6,131 | $6,131 |
| Personal Expenses | $5,550 | $5,550 | $5,550 |
| Books, Course Materials, Supplies and Equipment | $1,675 | $1,675 | $1,675 |
| Travel Allowance | $1,750 | $1,750 | $1,750 |
| Total Indirect Costs: | $51,731 | $47,062 | $40,368 |
| Total Estimated Cost of Attendance: | $130,423 | $125,754 | $119,060 |
* Students who document coverage under a comparable health insurance plan, such as a parent’s insurance plan, may be eligible to waive the Harvard University Student Health Insurance Plan (HUSHIP). Under Federal student aid regulations, an allowance for the cost of HUSHIP may be included in the student’s budget only for students who enroll in HUSHIP. For students who waive this coverage, the allowance will not be given and the total student budget (and maximum level of financial aid eligibility) will be reduced by the amount of HUSHIP. Students may request to have the documented cost of an alternate health insurance plan for which the student pays added to the student’s budget; requests must be made via the Adjustment Form found within the SFS Self-Service Portal. Documentation is required.
Family Health Insurance
Out-of-pocket costs for Health Insurance for a spouse and dependent children may be included into the student budget once they are charged. This budget increases eligibility for HLS Grant. To request an increase to your budget for this, submit the Adjustment Form found within the SFS Self-Service Portal. HUSHIP for dependents (spouse and children) may only be added once charged to your student billing account. Outside insurance may only be added with documentation of monthly costs and payment by the student/spouse.
Married with Children, and Spouse is a Full-Time Student
When a student’s spouse is a full-time student (and does not have a full-time job), we expect the spouse to use their own financial aid at their school to pay for their living expenses. Additionally, the HLS student’s available resources for the children is lowered and a spouse should reach out to their school about how to get additional resources for the children.
| Budget for married student, spouse is full-time student with 1 or more children | |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $77,100 |
| Mandatory HUHS Student Health Fee | $1,592 |
| Total Direct Costs: | $78,692 |
| Harvard University Student Health Insurance Plan (HUSHIP) Fee* | $4,202 |
| Housing | $18,000 |
| Food | $6,131 |
| Personal Expenses | $5,550 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,675 |
| Travel Allowance | $1,750 |
| Total Indirect Costs: | $37,308 |
| Total Estimated Cost of Attendance: | $116,000 |
* Students who document coverage under a comparable health insurance plan, such as a parent’s insurance plan, may be eligible to waive the Harvard University Student Health Insurance Plan (HUSHIP). Under Federal student aid regulations, an allowance for the cost of HUSHIP may be included in the student’s budget only for students who enroll in HUSHIP. For students who waive this coverage, the allowance will not be given and the total student budget (and maximum level of financial aid eligibility) will be reduced by the amount of HUSHIP. Students may request to have the documented cost of an alternate health insurance plan for which the student pays added to the student’s budget; requests must be made via the Adjustment Form found within the SFS Self-Service Portal. Documentation is required.
Family Health Insurance
Out-of-pocket costs for Health Insurance for dependent children may be included into the student budget once they are charged. When the spouse is a student, we can include half of the costs of the health insurance for the children into the student budget. This budget increases eligibility for HLS Grant. To request an increase to your budget for this, you must submit the Adjustment Form found within the SFS Self-Service Portal. HUSHIP for dependents (children) may only be added once charged to your student billing account. Outside insurance may only be added with documentation of monthly costs and payment by the student/spouse.
Single Student with Children
The budget listed here is for a scenario in which the student lives alone with their children. If the student lives with another adult, or the children live in another location, please reach out to SFS to discuss the impact on the student budget.
For those with multiple children, in the table below consider the amounts allocated for housing above the standard $18,000. The overall amount for a multiple-child household would be cumulative, per child, based on their ages; e.g., a student with two children — one 3 and one 5 — would see a housing budget of $18,000 + $14,423 + $9,754.
| Budget for marred student with 1 or more children | Child up to age 3 | Child aged 4-5 | Child aged 6-13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $77,100 | $77,100 | $77,100 |
| Mandatory HUHS Student Health Fee | $1,592 | $1,592 | $1,592 |
| Total Direct Costs: | $78,692 | $78,692 | $78,692 |
| Harvard University Student Health Insurance Plan (HUSHIP) Fee* | $4,202 | $4,202 | $4,202 |
| Housing | $32,423 | $27,754 | $21,060 |
| Food | $6,131 | $6,131 | $6,131 |
| Personal Expenses | $5,550 | $5,550 | $5,550 |
| Books, Course Materials, Supplies and Equipment | $1,675 | $1,675 | $1,675 |
| Travel Allowance | $1,750 | $1,750 | $1,750 |
| Total Indirect Costs: | $51,731 | $47,062 | $40,368 |
| Total Estimated Cost of Attendance: | $130,423 | $125,754 | $119,060 |
* Students who document coverage under a comparable health insurance plan, such as a parent’s insurance plan, may be eligible to waive the Harvard University Student Health Insurance Plan (HUSHIP). Under Federal student aid regulations, an allowance for the cost of HUSHIP may be included in the student’s budget only for students who enroll in HUSHIP. For students who waive this coverage, the allowance will not be given and the total student budget (and maximum level of financial aid eligibility) will be reduced by the amount of HUSHIP. Students may request to have the documented cost of an alternate health insurance plan for which the student pays added to the student’s budget; requests must be made via the Adjustment Form found within the SFS Self-Service Portal. Documentation is required.
Family Health Insurance
Out-of-pocket costs for Health Insurance for dependent children may be included into the student budget once they are charged. This budget increases eligibility for HLS Grant. To request an increase to your budget for this, you must submit the Adjustment Form found within the SFS Self-Service Portal. HUSHIP for dependents (children) may only be added once charged to your student billing account. Outside insurance may only be added with documentation of monthly costs and payment by the student.