Students Receive Money To Purchase Clothes for Winter

Gaurav Yadav '04 arrived at Harvard convinced he was prepared for its challenges.

But there was one hitch. Yadav is from Bangalore, India and has seen snow only a few times in his life.

With the frigid New England winter around the corner, many students like Yadav must consider how they will deal with snow and ice for the first time. Many have never owned a jacket before.

For many years, these students--about 50 per year--have turned to a financial aid program called the Kimball Winter Clothing Fund, which reimburses students for winter clothing purchases.

Applications for the fund were due last week and grants will be announced by this weekend.

Money from the endowed fund is available only to those students from warm climates whose financial aid grants exceed their tuition payments, according to Director of Financial Aid Sally C. Donahue.

Eligible students are presented with a list of suggested clothing along with prices, totaling $1,500.

The list includes various jackets, pants, socks, underwear, scarves, hats and gloves.

The applicant is then allowed to list all desired clothing, which must be approved by the financial aid office before the money is awarded, Donahue said.

Although no money has been given yet this year, in the past students have received between $200 and $400 on average, Donahue said.

"The [$1,500] list was meant to cover all the bases," Donahue said. "We don't say that you can get funded for all of it. We don't want people getting an extravagant outfit."

She added that since many students have no experience with winter clothing, a more exhaustive list gives them a better idea of what they will need.

When purchasing the clothing, the financial aid office encourages students to shop at many stores and look for the best deal, Donahue said. The financial aid office presents each eligible student with a list of stores in the area.

Although some students said they were surprised at the amount of money donated for clothing, Scott F. Goldman '04 said he believes that spending between $200 and $400 on winter clothes is not unreasonable.

"It's a good program as long as students don't abuse it," he said.

Goldman said the winter clothing fund is one of the more prudent University programs he has seen.

"Lobster night was wasteful," he said. "This isn't."

Without the program, Yadav said he felt that he might have had trouble dealing with the icy winter.

"It will be much easier now," he said. "I can get a good jacket."

Donahue, a firm supporter of the program, said that the list of clothing is not overly generous.

"If you live in the Northeast, you probably have all these things," she said. "The items are just part of a normal wardrobe."

Although the program is only available to students with a high level of aid, Donahue said the financial aid office could still help students with lower levels of aid that need help purchasing winter clothing.

"If [any students who receive financial aid] are feeling financial stress and can't get a coat, they should speak to their financial aid officer," she said.