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.
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
Individuals currently enrolled in a US undergraduate or graduate degree program may qualify for institutional need-based scholarships for the following HBS Online 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 application features an "Institutional Need-Based Scholarship" section that will assist in determining your eligibility.
Active servicemembers and veterans of the US military are also eligible for a scholarship for these HBS Online programs. The tables below outline scholarships available.
CORe Program
This refers to non-credit participants taking the three CORe courses in tandem.
| Scholarship Type | Program Fee | Scholarship Amount | Net Out of Pocket Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Pell Grant Recipients | $2,250 | $1,800 | $450 |
| US Military Personnel (Active & Veteran) | $2,250 | $1,350 | $900 |
| Current Graduate Students at US-based Institutions | $2,250 | $675 | $1,575 |
Business Analytics, Financial Accounting, and Economics for Managers Certificate Programs
| Scholarship Type | Program Fee | Scholarship Amount | Net Out of Pocket Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Pell Grant Recipients | $1,600 | $1,250 | $350 |
| US Military Personnel (Active & Veteran) | $1,600 | $950 | $650 |
| Current Graduate Students at US-based Institutions | $1,600 | $500 | $1,100 |
Students from Collaborating Colleges & Universities may be eligible for additional need-based scholarships.
Federal Financial Aid
Undergraduate credit option participants who are US citizens and undergraduate degree candidates at accredited degree-granting US institutions are eligible to use 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 ($3,680 / $3,760 starting September 2020).
- Send your institution’s signed consortium agreement to Harvard Extension School, Student Financial Services (SFS), 51 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02318. 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.