HDS - AFA - Financial Aid Announcements

Admissions and Financial Aid

Financial Aid Announcements, February 8, 2008

Greetings from the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid

Welcome! During the academic year, this page will be updated at least once a month. We will post important announcements, deadlines, and outside scholarship information. We hope that you will bookmark this page and return often. Best of luck for a successful semester!

Open Office Hours for Spring 2008

When you first come into the office, you will be greeted by Scott Wiener, admissions and financial aid assistant, who is the newest addition to our office. In most cases you will be directed to Carol Benoit, admissions and financial aid coordinator, who can hand out and collect various forms and assist with basic questions. If your questions are too complex for Carol to answer, you will be referred to Julie Field or Beth Flaherty. Julie and Beth are both available by appointment or during the open office hours listed below:

Beth Flaherty

Mondays 2-4:30 pm
Thursdays 9:30 am-noon

Julie Field

Tuesdays 9:30 am-noon
Wednesdays 2-4:30 pm

2008 Student Tax Workshop

On March 11, 12, and 13, Jim Briggs, the Tax Detective, presents several sessions of "Tax Tips for Students," an important workshop which covers such questions as

Is my grant or stipend taxable?
Can I deduct my tuition and fees?
Are my work-study earnings taxable?

and much more. Please see the Tax Tips for Students poster (PDF; Adobe Reader required) for specific times, and locations. Refreshments will be served! See you there.

Excess Cash Release Forms (e-Bill Refunds)

If you are borrowing to cover living expenses, you must complete an Excess Cash Release Request Form in order to receive a check. The forms are also available in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid and on the HDS Intranet (Student Services page, Financial Aid topic, Forms link). Before a check will be released to you, your financial aid file must be complete (we must have received and reviewed your signed award letter, tax returns, W-2s, and any additional requested documents).

Federal Work-Study Program (FWSP)

Academic year, or term-time, work-study begins on September 17, 2007, and will end on May 23, 2008.

Employers: If you will employ HDS students during the year, they must have a new FWS Referral Card from our office in order to be paid on the academic year FWS payroll.

Students: If you will continue in your current work-study job, or will begin a new work-study job, you must complete a new Request for Work-Study Funds Form. This form may either be completed online and emailed to our office, or you may print it, complete it, and return it to our office (students working in Andover-Harvard Theological Library or at a field education placement site do not need to complete this form). We will begin to distribute academic year FWS Referral Cards in mid-September.

Allocations for 2007-08: We will be able to provide allocations up to $4,000 (pending eligibility) for the academic year.

Direct Loan Promissory Note E-Signing

To ensure that your Ford Federal Direct Loan(s) will be ready for disbursement, you must electronically sign your Master Promissory Note (eMPN). In order to complete this process, you will need your U.S. Department of Education Personal Identification Number (PIN). Your PIN was sent to you upon completion of your FAFSA, but if you have misplaced it, you may request a new one. In addition to your PIN, you will need the following information to complete the e-signature process: your permanent address and phone number, your driver's license number and state, your email address, and two references complete with full name, address, zip code, and phone number. One of these references should be a parent or legal guardian. The other should be someone who has known you at least three years. Print a copy of the completed eMPN (and confirmation code number) for your records. We do not need a copy of this page; our office will be notified directly that you have completed this process. Please note that you will need either Microsoft Internet Explorer (5.0 or higher) or Netscape (4.0 or higher) in order to complete the signature process.

Once you have gathered the information listed above, log on to the Direct Loan MPN website, and click on the Complete New MPN icon. If you have questions regarding this signature process, you may contact the Department of Education directly by clicking on the Contact Us icon on the main MPN page.

Please complete this process immediately, as loans cannot be disbursed and refunds cannot be issued until this process has been completed.

Perkins Loan Promissory Note E-Signing

To ensure that your Perkins Loan will be ready for disbursement, you must electronically sign your promissory note. In order to complete this process, you will need your U.S. Department of Education Personal Identification Number (PIN). Your PIN was sent to you after you submitted your FAFSA, but if you have misplaced it, you may request a new one.

To e-sign your Perkins promissory note, log on to ECSI's website. You will need to provide your Social Security Number, last name, and date of birth. On the Student Authentication Network page, provide your FAFSA PIN. Most pages require that you accept the terms by checking a box at the bottom of those pages. You must provide complete reference information for yourself, next of kin, and two additional references. Failure to complete all lines accurately will keep this loan from being disbursed to your account. Read the promissory note completely, and electronically sign it at the bottom of the page. The electronic signature includes a check-off box plus your full legal name.

Please complete this process immediately, as loans cannot be disbursed and refunds cannot be issued until this process has been completed

Upcoming Outside Scholarship Deadlines

American Council of Learned Societies - Various Deadlines

The American Council of Learned Societies was founded in 1919 to advance humanistic studies in all fields of learning in the humanities and related social sciences and to maintain and strengthen relations among national societies devoted to such studies. As the preeminent representative of the humanities scholarships in the United States, the ACLS carries out its mission in a variety of programs in many parts of the world, and across many fields of learning. Awarding peer-reviewed scholarly fellowships is at the core of ACLS activity. For information on the ACLS scholarships, deadlines, and application procedures, please visit the ACLS website. The financial aid office (Divinity Hall 216) has one copy of the ACLS brochure that is available for reading in the financial aid office.

Garrett Trust Fund Scholarship - Rolling Deadline

The Garrett Trust Fund was established in 1946 to provide emergency scholarship assistance for seminarians. Eligible candidates must be pursuing the MDiv degree full-time and must be members of a local church of the UCC, in care of an Association of the UCC. Recommendation by a Conference Minister or Association/Conference Committee on Ministry is required. Applications are available in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Divinity Hall 216.

Harvard Medical School Fellowship in Medical Ethics 2008-09 - April 7, 2008

The Division of Medical Ethics at Harvard Medical School supports research and teaching on ethical issues in medicine, health, and health care policy and practice. The Fellowship in Medical Ethics is open to physicians, nurses, lawyers, social workers, and others in academic fields related to medicine or health with a serious academic interest in medical ethics and a wish to further their knowledge of the philosophical, social, historical, and political aspects of contemporary medical practice.

Fellows attend a weekly three-hour seminar designed to explore a wide range of issues in medical ethics, including ethical theory, clinical ethics, research ethics, and selected topics in public health ethics. Most weeks there is extensive reading and a brief paper. During the year, fellows participate in the intellectual life of the Division of Medical Ethics and are eligible to participate in Harvard University courses with permission of the instructor as well as monthly division Faculty Seminars and various public programs sponsored by the Division.

Fellows must have external salary support. The fellowship fee is $3,500. Most Fellows receive this support from their sponsoring institutions, and the Division of Medical Ethics will assist applicants who would like help approaching their sponsoring institutions with such a request. Some scholarships are also available.

Fellows are selected on the basis of their previous academic achievement and the contribution they are likely to make as researchers, clinicians, and teachers in medical ethics. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae and a letter of not more than 750 words, describing the reasons for their interest in the fellowship, including any particular topics or questions they are most interested in exploring. This letter is an opportunity for applicants to tell us about themselves, their interests, and their motivations in pursuing training in medical ethics. Applicants should also provide two letters of reference and a third letter from their supervisor or key senior staff person, demonstrating institutional support for the candidate's involvement in the HMS Fellowship and likely opportunities the candidate will have to contribute to bioethics at their home institution, upon completion of the Fellowship.

Deadline for submission of application materials is April 7, 2008. Three copies of all application materials should be sent to: Dr. Mildred Solomon, Fellowship Director, c/o Helena Martins, Harvard Medical School, Division of Medical Ethics, 651 Huntington Ave, FXB 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02115.

Questions should be directed to Helena Martins at 617.432.3041.

John Haynes Holmes Memorial Fellowships - April 1, 2008

The John Haynes Holmes Memorial Fellowships were established to honor the memory of the great social activist and minister of Community Church (1907-1949). Scholarships of up to $2,500 are awarded yearly by a committee of the Community Church of New York to seminary students aspiring to the Unitarian Universalist parish or religious education ministry. Both academic performance and financial need are considered in the awarding of the fellowships.

Applicants must indicate in their application as to when they will begin their seminary studies and whether they have applied for the fellowship in the past. Both academic performance and financial need are considered in the awarding of the fellowships.

To obtain application materials please contact the Community Church, 40 East 35th Street, New York, New York 10016; phone: 212.683.4988; email: info@ccny.org.

Julius B. Richmond Fellowship - May 2, 2008

The Julius B. Richmond Fellowship at the Center on the Developing Child supports dissertation research for up to two Harvard University doctoral students annually. Established in 2006, the Center is dedicated to creating a new generation of leaders who have a broad perspective on the promotion of healthy child development and who recognize the need to bring strong scientific knowledge to bear on policies and programs that support the well-being of children.

This one-year Fellowship provides students a $10,000 stipend in support of their independent research. Decisions will be made in the spring of 2008 and the Fellowship will begin in September. All Harvard University doctoral students are eligible to apply. The deadline for submissions is May 2, 2008.

Questions about the fellowship should be directed to: Martine Séverin, Program Manager, Center on the Developing Child.

The Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities Fellowship - March 17, 2008

The Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, and St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities share a commitment to partnership with a targeted community to increase access to mental health services and to improve the delivery and management of mental health services for underserved children and families. Although moral and spiritual concerns could be included in the research, this ecumenical program will not require a particular religious affiliation.

The goal is to establish a two-year fellowship to design and implement an innovative, sustainable, community-based prevention and early intervention program to address the mental health needs of underserved children and families in the neighborhoods and communities of the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. This program will mobilize and train congregations of all faiths, neighboring or embedded in these communities, in prevention and early intervention strategies to: "engage communities in a participatory process that identifies key issues and practices," develop their ability to advocate on critical issues identified by the communities, and "initiate a change process that results in improved mental health outcomes for the children and families of the community." The scholarship is administered by St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities, which is a public, non-operating charity with 501(c)(3) status, serving the 57 counties of the Diocese of Texas. Established in 1997, the Charities also engages in neighborhood-level assessments in underserved communities, employing a community-based participatory research approach to partner with community members at all stages of the research. Research reports are available on the Charities' website.

Eligibility: The candidate should: "have a demonstrated strong interest and involvement in diverse, underserved communities; have an established reputation and noted expertise in a field of study, such as public health, population health or community psychology, as evidenced by practice, teaching, research, and publications; have a minimum of 10 years experience in the use of related research methods and community applications; have a strong commitment to intervention and community-based participatory research; demonstrate expertise in community intervention development and evaluation; have strong participatory and community-building skills."

Application Deadline: March 17, 2008, 5 pm Central Standard Time. Materials submitted after this date will not be considered.

How To Apply: Hard copies and supporting materials must be mailed to the national program office: Only one copy of materials is required. Send application to: The Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities Fellowship Program, Attn: Dr. Patricia Gail Bray, 3100 Main St., Suite 865 (MC 3-206), Houston, Texas 77002-9312

Complete information on the program and application process can also be found on the Charities' website.

Weatherhead Center for International Affairs Fellowships - Various Deadlines

The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs is pleased to announce several fellowship competitions this spring for Harvard graduate students whose research topics are related to the core research interests of the Center. This research focuses on international, transnational, global, and comparative national topics and may address contemporary or historical topics, including rigorous policy analysis as well as the study of specific countries and regions besides the United States. Doctoral candidates in GSAS as well as advanced degree candidates in the professional schools are encouraged to apply. For more detailed information and application information, please visit the Weatherhead Center's research funding page. You may also contact Clare Putnam, student programs coordinator, at 617.495.9899.

Harvard Divinity School