Financial Aid for International Students

To the editors:

We read with interest Zuneera Shah’s column, “Trouble in Financial Aid Town,” in which she calls for more effective communication from the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid to international students receiving financial aid. Her kind words about the generosity of our program were appreciated—in fact, some may not know that Harvard College is one of only a very few colleges and universities committed to need-blind admissions for international students, and is able to fully meet their demonstrated financial need through institutional grants. This has been true for many decades, and we include in all students’ aid awards allowances for travel, books, and personal expenses.

It is a federal requirement that all colleges and universities withhold taxes for international students receiving awards above the cost of tuition and fees (our awards cover all costs, including room and board in addition to personal expenses). At Harvard, this withholding is handled by our Student Financial Services Office, and they send clear and detailed communications to students, for whom this is required twice annually, when those charges are required to be applied to their accounts. Entering international freshmen also participate in a week-long orientation at Harvard, during which they receive detailed information about financial aid, including tax withholding and how to recapture that money by filing a tax form.

In addition to the communication sent by Student Financial Services, the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid reaches out individually to international students with tax withholding in January, reminding them to file tax forms to reclaim that money and welcoming them to let us know if they have questions or need additional help. We let them know at that time that we will cover any gap between their tax withholding and their federal tax refund with scholarship assistance.

Finally, the University International Office reaches out to these students each year, informing them of the need to file tax forms and pointing them to a wealth of resources, including advice on how to file tax forms, all of which are easily accessible on their web site.

While these communications come from three different offices, we work closely with each other to make sure they are complementary and informative.

Students should feel free to visit the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid and ask questions if they are confused about how their financial aid works. We have a remarkable program and feel fortunate to be able to award close to $177 million in need-based scholarship aid this year, thanks to the commitment of President Faust and Dean Smith and to the generosity of our alumni and donors.

Sally Donahue is Griffin Director of Financial Aid in Harvard College's Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.