Below is a list of frequently asked questions about fellowships.
If you still have questions, consider making a counseling appointment with one of the fellowships counselors or attending an information meeting.
Our Fellowships Office administers competitions for Harvard College . Most of these grants are for post-baccalaureate opportunities, and most of the rest are for term-time funding support. However, the questions and answers below may apply to candidates in other situations.
FULL LIST OF FAQs
Is the OCS Fellowships Office the only place to learn about or apply for grants?
No. At Harvard the Fellowships Office is probably the largest and most centralized office involved in undergraduate grant administration. But there are several offices and research centers around the university offering grants in support of independent research, travel, and post-baccalaureate work or study experience. For a complete listing of these opportunities, we recommend that you consult the Harvard Student
Supplement to
The Harvard College Guide to Grants , which you can scan here. There's also a wealth of opportunities beyond Harvard. We suggest you consult
The Harvard College Guide to Grants to browse through these opportunities, and that you look at more reference sources.
Can I apply for more than one grant or fellowship?
Yes. In fact, if you think about grants as ways to support an aspiration, it's pretty normal to think that you'll apply for any grant which might support your goal.
How many grants or fellowships should I apply for?
This question is a little more complicated, and its answer depends on two factors: your interests and your stamina. If you have a fairly singular interest (e.g., "I want to study Victorian drama for a year in England "), you'll probably find yourself applying for several grants to support that study. If you have several possible interests (e.g., "I want to study Victorian drama in England for a year, but I'd also like to develop an AIDS education project in Idaho "), you may well find yourself applying for several grants to support each project. No selection committee assumes you have only one interest, or that their grant is the only one you're seeking. It is important to think carefully about what you want from possible fellowship or grant opportunities. A few carefully prepared applications will probably be more productive than a slew of dashed-off applications. Applying for grants is difficult, but the hardest application for a particular project is always the first one. We normally encourage people to apply for as many opportunities as their interests and abilities will support.
Will I be at a disadvantage if I apply for more than one grant or fellowship?
No. At Harvard selection committees are comprised of different individuals for each competition; these are members of the faculty and administrative staff, typically, and they serve without compensation because they're interested in students. There's no double jeopardy here. Beyond Harvard, the same rule is usually true. Selection committees will be chosen for their expertise in particular fields and for their willingness to serve; whether or not compensation is involved, they serve because they care about students at various stages in their development.
Why are some competitions restricted by nomination?
At Harvard some competitions are restricted by nomination in order to ensure a consistently high quality in the final applicant pool. In each case where this is the policy, restrictions are in place because of requirements or desires from sponsors. In regional or national competitions where restrictions are in place, this reflects sponsors' desires to limit the applicant pool to only the most extremely qualified candidates. In either case, competition is fierce, and there are many more qualified candidates than nomination slots.
Why do some competitions take longer to resolve than others?
For those competitions in which there is an outside schedule, there is no flexibility on selection schedules or decisions. Within Harvard competitions, the efforts to secure a range of faculty and administrative involvement often means delays or irregularities in scheduling selection decisions. We make every effort to ensure that meetings and selection decisions occur in a timely fashion, but these efforts ultimately rely on the availability of otherwise busy selection committee members.
What are my tax obligations on fellowships?
Here's our understanding. According to IRS stipulations, only expenses required for institutional degree programs are tax-deductible. So, if you get a grant for study at the Sorbonne for a year, only those costs stemming from required institutional study costs may be deducted; living and travel expenses are not tax-deductible. At Harvard, this rule holds true as well, even for traveling fellowships. As educational and personally significant as these may be, they are not required for tuition in any sense, and so are considered taxable. The only exception is for undergraduates pursuing grant or fellowships opportunities who are returning to the College afterward. Harvard will ordinarily consider summer or LOA grants to be educational in nature, and so part of a student's course of study. For definitive information, call the IRS at 1-800-829-3676, and request Publication 520, "Scholarships and Fellowships."
