HKS Offers Military Applicants Four-Year Deferral, Expedited Review at Other Schools After Pentagon Directive

The Harvard Kennedy School will allow accepted active-duty military students to defer enrollment for up to four years or pursue expedited admissions review at four other universities if they are unable to enroll at Harvard, HKS Dean Jeremy Weinstein wrote in a Wednesday email to applicants.

The contingency plan comes in response to a directive issued in early February by Secretary of Defense Pete B. Hegseth that severs academic ties between the military and Harvard. The order targets active-duty service members seeking to enroll in Harvard graduate programs beginning in the next academic year and could prevent them from attending the University even if admitted.

In his message, Weinstein said the school remains committed to supporting military applicants as admissions decisions approach later this month.

“While we hope to welcome active-duty military students to HKS next year, we are fully committed to making sure you get the education you deserve – even if you cannot get it at HKS,” Weinstein wrote.

Under the plan outlined in the email, admitted active-duty applicants who are unable to attend Harvard because of the Pentagon’s directive may defer their admission for up to four years.

The extended deferral window is a significant departure from the Kennedy School’s typical policy, which generally allows one-year deferrals only in limited circumstances.

Applicants who choose not to defer their admission may instead reroute their application to four schools for expedited review: The Harris School at the University of Chicago, The Fletcher School at Tufts University, The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, and The Gerald R. Ford School at the University of Michigan.

The review process at those schools would take place on an “expedited timeline and without significant additional work on your part,” Weinstein wrote.

The participating schools would conduct their own admissions and financial aid reviews according to their respective policies.

Spokespeople for the participating schools did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Spokespeople for other Harvard schools also did not immediately respond to questions about whether similar contingency measures were under consideration.

About 8 percent of HKS students have a military affiliation, and more than 500 veterans, reservists, and active-duty service members have studied at the school over the past decade.

Weinstein wrote that the Kennedy School hopes the contingency measures will ultimately prove unnecessary if active-duty service members are able to enroll at Harvard as planned.

“We hope that these contingency plans aren’t necessary and that you are able to attend HKS next year if accepted,” Weinstein wrote.

The Wednesday announcement is not the first time the Kennedy School has prepared contingency plans in response to a Trump administration directive. Last summer, after the White House took aim at Harvard’s ability to host international students, HKS agreed to let students complete their degrees at the University of Toronto.

​​—Staff writer Hugo C. Chiasson can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at hcc.35. Follow him on X @HugoChiassonn.

—Staff writer Jen L. Phan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X at @jenllphan.

—Staff writer Elise A. Spenner can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at elisespenner.82. Follow her on X @EliseSpenner