Each student has an online account where you can view your tuition, fees, and miscellaneous charges associated with your education at GSD, as well as payments and credits towards those charges. Your Student Account can be accessed via my.Harvard. Methods of payments and other information about your student account can be found on the University Student Financial Services website. Charges are posted monthly, beginning in July prior to a students’ first semester.

Your student account for the semester includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Charges/Expenses
  • Tuition, health and activity fees
  • Housing/Meal Plans (if Harvard affiliated)
  • Library fines, missed health appointment fees, printing and plotting charges
  • Refunds
  • Credits/Payments, including your tuition deposit
  • Anticipated aid (if applicable)
  • Reversed fees or fines

Tuition and fees are charged according to enrollment. If a student is enrolled for a full year, half of that amount will be charged for each of the two semesters.

Financial Aid and Your Student Account

If a student is receiving financial aid, that aid will be reflected on the Student Account.

For most students, aid credits will be applied to your account in two equal disbursements: once in the Fall and once in the Spring. Students whose aid exceeds their charges may receive a refund after they have registered.

What Do I Do With My Student Account?

Any charges due on your student account must be paid. Students whose aid does not cover their charges will have to pay the balance by the due dates shown on the account or they will not be cleared to register. Once a student has enrolled, they are expected to resolve any balance due monthly, either during the semester or during the summer. Similarly, students who are finishing their degree can only be cleared for graduation once their bill has been paid in full.

If your Amount Due is $0, you do not need to do anything. Those who have a credit after aid is factored in will be given a refund for the credit balance.

The Monthly Payment Plan

The terms of this plan allow you to pay any balance due over the four months of the semester. A per-semester application fee (currently $35) will be charged on your student account if you decide to opt in to this plan. Prior semester balances will not be incorporated into the payment plan and must be paid immediately. Aid is subtracted from the balance before the payments are calculated. Participants are expected to make their monthly payments on time or they may lose access to the plan in the future. To enroll in the Monthly Payment Plan, log in to your account, select Student Accounts from the left-hand menu, and select the enrollment link under Payment Plan. You cannot opt out of the Monthly Payment Plan for the current semester or a previous semester after registration unless the amount owed was paid in full prior to the deadline. To cancel your payment plan before registration, Student Financial Services can assist you further.

Harvard-Affiliated Housing/Rent Charges

Students who live in Harvard housing will see their rent charged monthly on their student account. These students are expected to pay their rent as of the first of each month. Students who do not keep up with their monthly rent payments may be denied lease renewal options in the future. If you are charged rent on your student account during the summer, that must be paid out-of-pocket as it cannot be paid with financial aid. Graduating students are responsible for paying June and July rent charges prior to Commencement. For more information regarding bills and Commencement, go to the Enrollment Policies information page.

COVID-19

In recent years the GSD has had to act quickly to implement contingency scenarios in order to protect the health and safety of our community, while ensuring the continuity of our teaching and research mission. In addition, the Graduate School of Design retains the discretion to act as it deems necessary in extraordinary circumstances to protect the health and safety of the Harvard community. For these purposes “extraordinary circumstances” include, but are not limited to, public health emergencies, extreme weather events, and other conditions posing broad threats to the community health and safety or significantly disrupting campus life or learning. Discretionary measures available to the Graduate School of Design may include, but are not limited to, making recourse to remote or hybrid instruction, suspending or limiting access to University provided residential housing, limiting its provision of or access to certain activities and services, introducing or modifying vaccination, mask, and physical distancing mandates; and implementing compulsory testing and tracing programs as required conditions for accessing the Harvard campus or Harvard facilities.

Please consult the GSD homepage for any updates to COVID-related protocols.