The Faculty of Arts and Sciences oversees the distribution of financial aid from 1,500 endowment funds. Commonly shortened to FAS Scholarship, it is the oldest scholarship program in the country, dating back more than 370 years to just after the founding of Harvard College. Scholarships are distributed according to academic discipline or major, academic accomplishment, and financial need. Students from families earning less than $60,000 per year automatically qualify for full financial aid, while those making $60,000 to $180,000 need only contribute 10 percent of their federally determined Expected Family Contribution.
Donors created the Harvard National Scholarship in 1936 to honor the 300th anniversary of Harvard College. Its sole purpose is to broaden Harvard's appeal beyond the Northeastern United States by attracting top students from across the country. The primary qualifications for this scholarship are good grades and an academic standing in the top 10 percent of the applicant's graduating class.
Harvard offers scholarships for overseas opportunities under its Common Application for Research and Travel program, or CART. Students wishing to study in Japan or South Korea as part of a summer internship can apply to the David Rockefeller Experience Grants Program. International students seeking to study at Harvard's campus in Massachusetts can apply for any FAS scholarship for which they would otherwise qualify because citizenship is not used to determine financial awards.