Application Deadline: April 3rd 2015
President Derek Bok established the Harvard South Africa Fellowship Program (HSAFP) in 1979 to address the needs of South Africans who were denied access to advanced education by the apartheid system. This program was established, and is still intended, for mid-career professionals educationally disadvantaged by past laws and resource allocations in South Africa.
Fellows are selected because they have shown considerable skill in their chosen fields, and are expected to benefit from advanced training. Fellowships are for a year of study in one of Harvard’s Professional Schools, with tuition waivers provided by the School once fellows are admitted.
General administrative funds for program management, stipends, and airfare for the fellow are provided by the Office of the President, and administered by the Center for African Studies, under the directorship of Professor John Mugane. There are typically six fellows studying at Harvard each year, resulting in the award of over 200 fellowships since the program began.
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.
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.
APPLICATION TIMELINE
- April 3, 2015 HSAFP applications DUE (at 11:59pm EST)
- April – May 2015 Applications are reviewed by on-campus committee at Harvard University
- Late May 2015 Applicants notified if they have been selected as finalist
- July 2015 Expected timing for finalist interviews in South Africa
- Late August 2015 Finalists are notified if they have been selected as a Harvard South Africa Fellow
- September 2015 – January 2016 Selected Harvard South Africa Fellows apply directly to the Harvard program they are interested in attending
- January – April 2016 Candidates typically hear about their admissions decision from the Harvard School to which they applied
- Beginning July – August 2016 Most Harvard South Africa Fellows’ academic programs at Harvard begin
- May 2017 Fellows at Harvard for one-year program complete their academic year at the University
APPLICATION FORM
- Submit the HSAFP 2015 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 email to africa@harvard.edu
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the 2015 Harvard South Africa Fellowship Program