Tuition and Fees

The tuition and fees for the Summer Language Program (SLP) 2024 are:

• Full tuition: $5,800
• Reduced tuition: $2,600
• Program fee: $500
• Tuition for auditing: $2,600

General notes:

• Any student/participant in the SLP may only take one language per SLP (annually).
• Due to the demands of both field education and SLP, HDS students are not permitted to enroll in field education during the summer they enroll in SLP. Additionally, HDS students are not permitted to audit a class in SLP while registered for field education (HDS Student Handbook, p.66)
• Applicants/students need to be at least at the college-level to take the intensive SLP courses. High school students are not admitted to the SLP courses.
• HDS Students in the Master of Religion and Public Life Program (MRPL) are welcome to apply to the SLP and pay the $500 program fee. They may not use SLP toward MRPL degree requirements. Any exceptions to this rule require written permission of the faculty director of the MRPL program.
• Unfortunately, no financial aid is available to assist incoming and/or current HDS students with program fees at this time. Please note that you may also take the SLP courses in a less intensive version throughout the academic year as regular language courses (fall and spring semester).
• The SLP is not approved for VA education benefits.

Full-time HDS degree candidates

Full-time HDS degree students who will be enrolled the following fall may participate once in the Summer Language Program and have it covered by normal term tuition. That is, first-time participation will not affect tuition. However, program fees required. The program fee is due at registration. 

If you are a current MDiv student, please keep the rules regarding the SLP and Field Education in mind.

Part-time HDS degree candidates and those approved to pay on a per-course basis

Part-time students and those who pay on a per course basis may participate in the Summer Language Program and have it count toward the requirements of their degree, provided:

• They will be registered in the fall;
• They pay the program fee of $500 
• They pay additional tuition in the fall equal to normal tuition for two half courses.

The additional tuition paid for the SLP will apply toward these students' overall required tuition (tuition equivalent to 16 half courses for MTS students, 24 half courses for MDiv students, and 8 half courses for ThM students). Fall term financial aid awards may be adjusted to help pay for the additional SLP tuition.

If you are a current HDS student (or recent HDS graduate), you may enroll in the SLP multiple times for the cost of the reduced tuition.

Student from one of the Boston Theological Interreligious (BTI) Consortium member schools

Students from BTI Consortium member schools qualify for the reduced tuition if they will be enrolled full-time in the fall of 2024 at one of the BTI Consortium partner-schools.

Please note that the SLP is a separate program from the courses that take place during the academic year at the Harvard Divinity School. Therefore, the payment of tuition for the SLP at HDS are not covered under the cross-registration agreements within the BTI Consortium. It is the responsibility of each BTI Consortium student to work with their home school to determine financial aid eligibility and payment for the SLP courses.

Non-HDS students, HDS nondegree students, and HDS ThD students paying reduced tuition

Non-HDS students, HDS nondegree students, and HDS ThD students paying reduced tuition are required to pay the Summer Language Program tuition at registration.

Doctoral students

HDS ThD students paying full tuition in the fall 2024 are not required to pay SLP tuition nor the program fees.

All doctoral students who entered the Study of Religion program as of the fall 2015 and forward, who are paying full tuition in the fall of 2024, are also not required to pay SLP tuition nor the program fees.

Doctoral students from other Harvard Schools (other than the CSR) are expected to pay full tuition, or the tuition for auditing the course

All PhD students, who entered the doctoral program before the fall of 2015, need to pay the reduced SLP tuition.

HDS Special Students

Tuition payments apply.

Auditors

Auditing the SLP is possible (not for course credit); however, tuition payments apply (see above for the amount).