Payment and Financial Aid
Harvard Business School Online offers a variety of payment options for our programs. Availability of financial aid varies by program.
Payment Methods
We accept payments via credit card, wire transfer, Western Union, and (when available) bank loan. We also allow you to split your payment across 2 separate credit card transactions or send a payment link email to another person on your behalf. Please note that we do not provide refunds for the purpose of changing your payment method. If splitting your payment into 2 transactions, a minimum payment of $350 is required for the first transaction.
In all cases, net Program Fees* must be paid in full (in US Dollars) prior to your course’s enrollment deadline.
At this time, Harvard Business School Online cannot accept:
- Checks
- Veterans Affairs Benefits (please see our Scholarship section for details on military personnel scholarships).
- Awards or payments from organizations which would arrive after the course's enrollment deadline. If an award or payment is only provided upon completion of a course, you may not use it to pay for an HBS Online course, unless the award directly reimburses you.
- Federal financial aid, except for eligible participants enrolled in the undergraduate credit option of CORe. Please see our Federal Financial Aid section for details.
We are happy to provide our tax ID and bank account information to facilitate payments from organizations sponsoring your enrollment. However, we are not able to provide specialized information or complete paperwork as part of a vendor setup process for individual payments.
*Please note: Program Fees do not include international taxes.
Loans
Below is a list of lenders who have indicated that they are willing to provide loans to HBS Online program participants. The contact information is provided as a service and not as an endorsement of the lender, or indication of any affiliation with these providers. You may choose one of these, or any other lender of your choice. Each lender will have its own eligibility criteria, lending requirements and minimum loan amounts.
| Lender | Website |
|---|---|
| Sallie Mae | www.salliemae.com/00215592 |
| Citizens Bank | www.citizensbank.com/collegestudent |
If you wish to pay for your program with a loan, the loan must be approved, certified, and disbursed prior to starting the program. Please note that it takes 10 business days for a loan to disburse once it has been certified, so apply early if you intend to use this option to enroll in your course.
Additional Notes:
- Sallie Mae requires that HBS Online participants apply for undergraduate loans. Graduate school loans will not disburse.
- Many lenders use the ELM system for loan certification. Only loans that are sent via this system to Harvard Business School Online (school code 002155-92), will reach us. We will not be able to see, or certify, loans sent to other school codes, including those sent to the HBS MBA program.
- Participants must apply for separate loans for each course they would like to finance.
- We are not able to certify loans until the applicant is accepted into the program.
Scholarships
HBS Online offers several different scholarships to eligible participants in the following programs:
- CORe program participants taking the three courses in tandem who have not elected to enroll in the undergraduate credit option. See the Federal Financial Aid section if you are taking the CORe undergraduate credit option.
- Business Analytics certificate program
- Economics for Managers certificate program
- Financial Accounting certificate program
The HBS Online course application gives individuals currently enrolled in a US undergraduate program who are Pell Grant recipients, graduate students at US-based institutions, and active servicemembers and veterans of the US military the opportunity to apply and submit documentation for Student Aid and Military Benefits.
Student Aid and Military Benefits
Current Pell Grant Recipients
| Eligible Courses | Eligible Course Offerings | Program Fee | Scholarship Amount | Net Out of Pocket Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CORe Program (Non-credit) | All course dates | $2,500 | $2,000 | $500 |
| Business Analytics | All course dates | $1,750 | $1,350 | $400 |
| Financial Accounting | All course dates | $1,750 | $1,350 | $400 |
| Economics for Managers | All course dates | $1,750 | $1,350 | $400 |
US Military Personnel (Active and Veteran)
| Eligible Courses | Eligible Course Offerings | Program Fee | Scholarship Amount | Net Out of Pocket Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CORe Program (Non-credit) | All course dates | $2,500 | $1,500 | $1,000 |
| Business Analytics | All course dates | $1,750 | $1,050 | $700 |
| Financial Accounting | All course dates | $1,750 | $1,050 | $700 |
| Economics for Managers | All course dates | $1,750 | $1,050 | $700 |
Current Graduate Students at US-based Institutions
| Eligible Courses | Eligible Course Offerings | Program Fee | Scholarship Amount | Net Out of Pocket Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CORe Program (Non-credit) | All course dates | $2,500 | $750 | $1,750 |
| Business Analytics | All course dates | $1,750 | $550 | $1,200 |
| Financial Accounting | All course dates | $1,750 | $550 | $1,200 |
| Economics for Managers | All course dates | $1,750 | $550 | $1,200 |
Students from Collaborating Colleges & Universities may be eligible for additional need-based scholarships.
Federal Financial Aid
While HBS Online does not offer scholarships for the undergraduate credit option of CORe, participants who are US citizens and undergraduate degree candidates at accredited degree-granting US institutions are eligible to use their existing federal financial aid for CORe. To do so:
- Confirm with your home institution that it will accept eight undergraduate degree credits for CORe and will offer you aid.
- Once admitted to CORe, pay the credit cost of CORe ($4,080).
- Send your institution’s signed consortium agreement to Harvard Extension School, Student Financial Services (SFS), 51 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02318, Email: studentfinance@extension.harvard.edu. SFS will confirm your admission and credit registration in CORe and return the form to your home institution. Once received, your institution will release the funds directly to you.
Harvard Extension School undergraduate degree candidates may use their existing financial aid award toward the cost of CORe. The 8 credits will count toward your enrollment status and should be reflected in the number of credits reported in your aid application supplement.