Financial Aid

Harvard University Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid

Harvard University reports almost no merit aid: 4 first-year students without financial need received it, averaging $4,728.

Merit aid

Scholarships Harvard University gave to first-year students who had no financial need.

Average merit award

$4,728

Freshmen who got one

of 1,638 in the class

Share of those without need

who received merit aid

Need-based aid

For first-year students the college found to have financial need.

Average need-based grant

$72,749

Average percent of need met

100%

Freshmen with need

57%

932 students

The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $75,166.

How to read these numbers

Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.

Email me Harvard University's aid numbers

A link to this page, plus the merit aid comparison for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Harvard University give merit scholarships?

Harvard University reports almost no merit aid: 4 first-year students without financial need received it, averaging $4,728.

Does Harvard University meet full financial need?

Harvard University reports meeting 100% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid.

What share of Harvard University freshmen have financial need?

932 of 1,638 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 57%, were found to have financial need.

Source: Harvard University’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.