The Harvard South Africa Fellowship Program (HSAFP)

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1 The Harvard South Africa Fellowship Program (HSAFP) The Harvard South Africa Fellowship Program (HSAFP) is intended for South Africans who in the past were educationally disadvantaged by law and resource allocation under apartheid. In 1979 Harvard University began awarding these fellowships for a year of study in one or more of its faculties or schools. Harvard funds these fellowships from its own resources. Over the years more than one hundred and forty fellowships have been awarded to South Africans. Eligibility The HSAFP was conceived largely to provide educational enrichment for men and women in mid-career, that is, individuals in various occupations who have shown considerable skill in their chosen fields and leadership and are expected to benefit from advanced training. Thus candidates who have just completed, or who have not yet completed, a first degree are not selected unless this degree has been pursued concurrently with, or subsequent to, experience in the workplace. Fellows usually range in age from 30 to 45 years. Fellows submit their applications directly to the Harvard South Africa Fellowship Program at Harvard University. A committee of HSAFP alumni, Harvard alumni and the CAS Faculty Chair will interview the short-listed applicants in South Africa. Successful candidates must then apply to and be admitted at the specific Harvard school where they intend to study. Applicants should determine well in advance whether, if awarded a fellowship, they can be granted leave by their employers for Harvard s academic year. They should generally plan to be in residence at Harvard from September until June. However, some programs require fellows to begin residence on 1st July. No candidate should accept an interview unless assured that such leave will be granted. The committee does not wish to assign fellowships to anyone who subsequently finds it impossible to use the opportunity. Terms of Fellowship The fellowship provides for payment of all tuition for the full period of enrollment at Harvard. The fellowship also funds the round-trip airfare between the fellow s home and Boston. A monthly stipend is provided to fellows, except those enrolled in the Executive Education Programs, to cover the cost of housing and other living expenses. Housing is usually in university graduate dormitories. (Please note that housing costs in the Boston/Cambridge area are extremely high, and the stipend only covers bare necessities.) The monthly stipend must also be used to pay other expenses such as medical and dental insurance, medicines, taxes, food, winter clothing, books and supplies. Fellows are held personally responsible for the payment of all bills other than tuition fees and airfare. Fellows should also be aware that their stipends will have a significant amount of taxes taken out before they receive the funds.

2 Please be advised that Harvard will require fellows to purchase American medical insurance. This insurance does not cover the range of services covered in South Africa. Separate insurance must be purchased for dental coverage. Charges for non-covered expenses and prescription drugs are very high. A full monthly check is provided for each month or partial month during which the fellow is officially registered at Harvard. The fellow will have higher start-up expenses in September, and also substantial expenses at the end of the period of study. Fellowship funds do not allow for family support, whether or not family members join the fellow at Harvard. Fellows are strongly discouraged from bringing their family with them to Harvard. The cost of housing a family in Boston or Cambridge is considerably in excess of the rental charge for one individual in a graduate dormitory, the rate used in calculating the monthly stipend. Applicants for the fellowship must therefore consider seriously whether they are prepared to spend an academic year at Harvard apart from their families. (The Executive Education Programs, in particular, will not allow a student to live with his or her family during the several months of the programs.) Admission to Harvard Candidates who are awarded fellowships must apply and receive admission to their specific Harvard program for the following year. For example, if you apply for a fellowship during the 2013 application cycle and you are selected, you must then apply for admission to your program for the following academic year of If admitted to the program, your fellowship will be awarded for If candidates who are awarded fellowships do not apply and receive admission to a specific Harvard program, the fellowship is void. Applicants are advised to search Harvard s website for information on the various schools at Harvard and the courses offered to ensure that the program to which they apply matches their academic qualifications and career aspirations. Admission to a formal Harvard degree or other program remains solely within the authority of the Admissions Committee of the particular Harvard school or program and not with HSAFP. A considerable number of fellows have been admitted to one-year Master s programs and have received the degree. The Schools of Law, Public Health, and the Kennedy School of Government offer one-year Master s-degree programs open to holders of the relevant Bachelor s degree. The Medical School is open to biological and social scientists interested in advanced training or research. Admissions committees for Master s degrees require candidates to take the Graduate Records Examination or the equivalent professional test. The deadlines for submission of all admission materials to Harvard vary from mid- December to early January. Unlike most South African universities, Harvard s MBA is a two-year degree program and thus is not available through this fellowship program. It should also be noted that Harvard offers no programs, degree or otherwise, in several areas commonly taught at other institutions, e.g. Nursing, Library Science, or Social Work. Furthermore, the largest Harvard school, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, does not offer a one-year Master s degree. Applicants interested in studying as Special Students at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) should already be pursuing doctoral studies in South Africa or be involved

3 in a medical, scientific, or other type of research program. They need to submit a welldeveloped plan that illustrates how access to Harvard faculty, courses and research resources will further their studies or their research. Application In order to complete an application for the HSAFP you will be asked to fill out our PDF application, and submit all other documentation by , including two letters of recommendation with the HSAFP recommendation form. Please note the following application timeline for all applicants: March 1, 2013 March-April 2013 Late April 2013 June 2013 Late June 2013 September December 2013 January April 2014 Beginning July 2014 August 2014 May 2015 HSAFP applications DUE Applications are reviewed by on campus committee at Harvard University Applicants notified if they have been selected as finalist Expected timing for finalist interviews in Johannesburg, South Africa Finalists are notified if they have been selected as a Harvard South Africa Fellow Selected Harvard South Africa Fellows apply directly to the Harvard program they are interested in attending Candidates typically hear about their admissions decision from the Harvard School to which they applied Harvard South Africa Fellows academic programs at Harvard begin Fellows at Harvard for one-year programs complete their academic year at the University APPLICATION FORM Submit the application form. TRANSCRIPTS Submit transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended. You may upload these or have them mailed directly. Transcripts must show the grades and course titles for all your post-secondary coursework. Copies of diplomas are NOT required. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION Two letters of recommendation must be submitted. Letters of recommendation should be attached to the HSAFP Recommendation Form. Letters can be submitted by to cafrica@fas.harvard.edu

4 WRITING SAMPLES An academic essay and a personal statement must be submitted. o 2013 Academic essay topic: Briefly describe an important issues in your field of interest or a current problem facing South Africa. Propose a theoretical framework or strategy to address this issue. Applicants seeking admission into the Special Student Program should use this academic essay to describe their research and attach a description of their relevant coursework. Minimum 500 words, Maximum 1000 words. The Academic Essay and the Personal Statement should be typed in a standard font and font size (10 to 12 point). Essays should also be double-spaced. Include your full name on the top of each page and your signature at the end of the Academic Essay and the Personal Statement. RESUME/CV Include a copy of your most recent resume/cv with your application. Harvard South Africa Fellowship Program FAQ If I have a permanent resident SA ID Card, can I apply? Unfortunately, no, we can only accept applications from South African Citizens. If I have an advanced degree already, can I apply? Yes! Our definition of mid career professional is an open one. We will evaluate candidates based on their credentials and if an applicant already has a masters or PhD degree this does not disqualify them from receiving the fellowship. Do I also need to complete a separate application to the school that I am interested in attending? Yes, receiving the Harvard South Africa Fellowship does not mean you have been accepted to the academic program you are interested in applying to. You must complete a separate application to the Harvard division that you are interested in attending. For example, if you were to receive news that you were being awarded the fellowship in the summer of 2013, the next step would be to apply directly to the school in the fall/winter 2013/14. Can I bring my spouse and/or family with me to Cambridge? We strongly encourage you to consider your family as you make a decision to apply for this fellowship. Fellows are strongly discouraged from bringing their family with them to Harvard. The cost of housing a family in Boston/Cambridge is considerably higher than the rental charge of one individual in a graduate dormitory the rate used in calculating the monthly stipend. As a result,

5 applicants for the fellowship should seriously consider whether they are prepared to spend an academic year at Harvard apart from their families. When can I expect to hear if I have been awarded the fellowship? Applicants will hear in late April 2013 if they have been selected as a finalist. Interviews in South Africa will take place in June 2013 and later that month finalists can expect to be notified if they have been selected as a Harvard South Africa Fellow. What expenses are covered by the fellowship? The fellowship provides for payment of all tuition for the full period of enrollment at Harvard. The fellowship also funds the round trip airfare between the fellow s home and Boston, as well as a monthly stipend. Fellows typically elect to stay in University graduate dormitories. Please note that housing costs in the Boston/Cambridge area are extremely high, and the stipend only covers bare necessities. The monthly stipend must also be used to pay for other expenses such as medical and dental insurance, medicines, taxes, food, winter clothing, books and supplies. Fellows are held personally responsible for the payment of all bills other than tuition fees and airfare. Please be advised that Harvard will require fellows to purchase American medical insurance. This insurance does not cover the range of services covered in South Africa. Separate insurance must be purchased for dental coverage. Charges for non covered expenses and prescription drugs are very high.