Funding

The Regional Studies East Asia Program has limited scholarship funding for our admitted students. Scholarships are awarded by the Admissions Committee based on academic merit. The Admissions Committee also recommends the awarding of the limited number of Harvard-Yenching Fellowships and the Albert and Teruko Craig Fellowship. Applicants are encouraged to apply for all outside funding opportunities for which they are eligible.

The Harvard-Yenching Institute (HYI) Fellowship is awarded to eligible Asian nationals admitted into the RSEA program who are interested in later pursuing a Ph.D. as preparation for an academic career and who plan to return to Asia to teach upon completion of their graduate studies. There are a limited number of HYI Fellowships available, and nominations are made solely by the RSEA Admission Committee.

 

All eligible candidates admitted into the RSEA Program are considered. No direct application or solicitation is permitted. Applicants who hold degrees from English-medium universities located outside of Asia are not eligible. The HYI Fellowship is awarded for consecutive years of study only, and the RSEA program must be completed within two years. Please note that this fellowship is only for Harvard RSEA-admitted students and is not transferable to other programs or universities.

 

The Albert and Teruko Craig Fellowship in Japanese Studies at the Reischauer Institute at Harvard University is a two-year fellowship for A.M. degree  candidates in the Regional Studies–East Asia (RSEA) Program. This fellowship is awarded to A.M. degree candidates with a focus on Japan while in the RSEA Program. The Craig Fellowship provides tuition and stipend support for two years of enrollment in the RSEA Program. No separate application is required for the Craig Fellowship, nor should applicants contact faculty regarding this scholarship.

 

The RSEA Program and the Reischauer Institute gratefully acknowledge John J. Stephan (A.B. 1963, A.M. 1964) and Barbara B. Stephan for their generosity in establishing the Craig Fellowship in Japanese Studies at Harvard University. The Craig Fellowship honors Professor Albert M. Craig (1927–2021), Harvard-Yenching Professor of History, and Mrs. Teruko Craig, Senior Lecturer Emerita, Tufts University, and Reischauer Institute Associate-in-Research.

 

The cost of attending the Harvard RSEA Program is set by the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and more detailed information can be found on their website under Cost of Attendance. For additional information about funding available at Harvard University see the Harvard Griffin GSAS Sources of Funding, the Harvard Committee on General Scholarships, and the CARAT searchable database of fellowship opportunities.

 

All applicants to RSEA are encouraged to seek outside (non-Harvard) sources of funding for which they are eligible (see below for a partial list of scholarships for graduate study). Advanced planning is required as the deadline for some scholarships may be before the Harvard Griffin GSAS application deadline.

 

Applicants to the RSEA program are asked not to contact faculty members to request nominations for fellowships or funding.

 

Other Scholarships for Graduate Study:

Note: this list is a selection of scholarships RSEA students have previously pursued. The information here is offered as a starting point, and we cannot guarantee its accuracy. Be sure to refer to each program’s website for current information.

 

Beinecke Scholarship Program The Beinecke Scholarship Program is open to U.S. students (college juniors) who intend to pursue graduate study in the arts, humanities, and social sciences at any accredited university.

 

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Foundation The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship awards approximately 900 to 1,000 new three-year fellowships each year to U.S. graduate students in the mathematical, physical, biological, engineering, and behavioral and social sciences (eligible fields include: anthropology, archeology, cultural anthropology, economics, geography, history of science, linguistics, political science, psychology, public policy, sociology.)

 

Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship is designed to attract outstanding US citizens from all backgrounds who have an interest in pursuing a Foreign Service career with the U.S. Department of State. The Fellowship includes two years of graduate study and internships with the U.S. State Department.

 

The Rangel Graduate Fellowship is a program that aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State in which they can help formulate, represent, and implement U.S. foreign policy. The Rangel Program selects outstanding Rangel Fellows annually in a highly competitive nationwide process and supports them through two years of graduate study, internships, mentoring, and professional development activities. This program encourages the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, women, and those with financial need.

 

Soros Fellowships for New Americans The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships provide for up to two years of graduate study in the U.S. for "New Americans.” New Americans include resident aliens (i.e., holders of a Green Card), naturalized U.S. citizens, and the children of two parents who are both naturalized U.S. citizens. Fellows may pursue graduate degrees in any professional field, or any scholarly discipline in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences.

 

Truman Scholarships The Harry S. Truman Scholarships are open to college juniors who are US citizens and nationals and who want to go to graduate school in preparation for a career in public service (government or the nonprofit and advocacy sectors).

 

Additional general information:

U.S. citizens may search for suitable scholarships at FinAid.org.

We recommend that international students check with the education ministry of their home country/province/city for information about relevant scholarships for graduate study in the United States.