Private loans  

To support students who may be affected by the changes that go into effect on July 1, 2026, Harvard University has developed a University-wide Preferred Lender List for the 2026 – 27 academic year. Students enrolled in a less than half time programs (i.e. MPH-EPI, the Master in Health Care Management (MHCM), and our MPH-45 summer-focused and SM-42.5 summer-only), should go to our information for less than half time programs.

If you intend to borrow a private loan, you must submit the Private Loan Request Form. If you are borrowing from one of our preferred lenders, the Harvard Federal Credit Union (Harvard FCU) or College Ave, we will process your request without a pre-approval. This information can be used as part of the financial certification for an international students’ visa application. Once the loan application opens, you must also submit the application.

Both domestic and international students should follow these steps: 

• Students borrowing from our preferred lenders, please see information above
• Start at this page: Find a Private Loan: Harvard University Graduate & Professional Students and read the important information there. 
• Review the information about Private Loan Options. 
• Review ELMSelect, a Harvard University tool designed to provide information about private lending options. You are not required to use any of the lenders on this site. 
• After you obtain a pre-approval on a loan*, submit a copy of your pre-approval document to the Office of Financial Aid.
  • If you are an international student borrowing from a U.S. based lender, you must also complete the Private Loan Request Form. The Office of Financial Aid (OFA) will review your submission and notify you by email once it’s been processed. This information can be used as part of the financial certification for international students’ visa application. 

*If you are borrowing from one of our preferred lenders, the Harvard Federal Credit Union (Harvard FCU) or College Ave, we will process your request without pre-approval. Once loan applications open, you must also submit the application.

Please be aware that several of these loan options come with both annual and lifetime limits. If you intend to apply with multiple institutions, it’s crucial to inform each lender to prevent any adverse effects on your loan application. 

Note for international students: While some loan programs do not require a U.S. co-signer, you may get more favorable terms and conditions with one. International students who have a U.S. co-signer should review loan options on both the “Graduate” and “International” pages on ELMSelect.

Note: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, like all of Harvard University, has no financial interest in your choice of private lender. 

• Credit requirements 
• Interest rate terms (ie: fixed or variable) 
• Fees 
• Total cost 
• Repayment incentives for the borrower 
• Deferment and forbearance options 
• Repayment timelines and flexibility

Many private lenders will defer payments while you are enrolled in school.  

Most such deferments require that you be enrolled at least half-time in a degree-granting program. At Harvard Chan School, that means you must be enrolled in at least 7.5 credits in each term of enrollment.

Your enrollment status may not update automatically with private lenders, so please check with your lender about their procedures for deferments. They may require a form from the School’s Registrar’s Office.