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.