LHU Introduces Incentives to Provide Affordable Education Options

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — Lock Haven University recently has instituted several incentives to help attract students to LHU this fall, including merit-based, need-based and federal and state aid; waiving the SAT/ACT score requirement for prospective students seeking consideration for the fall 2020 semester; and a tuition freeze.

LHU’s office of admissions will continue to thoroughly review each applicant and, in some cases, require additional information such as a phone interview. Majors that do not qualify for the SAT/ACT score waiver include biology, chemistry, geology, health science, nursing and physics. New applicants are encouraged to submit test scores if they are available.

The enrollment deposit deadline has been extended to June 1, and the deposit has been lowered from $200 to $100. Distance parameters for students who are required to live on campus have been extended from 30 to 50 miles and the University has discontinued the requirement that students have to live on campus in their second year.

While all on-campus visits remain canceled until further notice, the admissions office is offering virtual sessions until the university re-opens campus visits. Virtual visits can be made by visiting https://admissions.lockhaven.edu/portal/campusvisit. For students who have already visited, whether on campus or virtually, the application fee will be waived.

Earlier this week the board of governors for Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education for the first time in its 38-year history froze basic in-state tuition for a second consecutive year, even while confronting financial challenges brought on in part by the coronavirus pandemic.

Basic in-state tuition for undergraduate students will remain at $7,716 for the 2020-21 academic year. Also remaining the same will be the system’s technology fee for students, which stands at $478 for the academic year.

“Along with our work to increase need-based and merit-based aid, this will help to keep a degree more affordable as we enter a time when education will matter more than ever,” said Dr. Robert Pignatello, LHU president.

Last fall, LHU announced a new financial aid strategy for first-time freshmen and first-time transfer students that combines merit-based aid, need-based aid and federal and state aid.

Eligible students will receive the scholarship at the time they are admitted, based on their high school grade point average and SAT scores. Scholarships for in-state students range from $500-$2,500 and out-of-state scholarships will range from $2,000-$4,000. This scholarship strategy helps students understand a reduction in their price earlier in the process, according to Stephen Lee, vice president for enrollment management and student affairs.

As students complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), they also will receive need-based aid if they are eligible. Need-based aid will be awarded based on a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and financial need that was not met with merit-based, state or federal aid.

In addition, the Student Retention Fund and the new Emergency Student Fund provide resources that are being used to reduce financial stress that students and their families are experiencing because of the pandemic. The university’s emergency fund goal of $25,000 was reached and has now increased that target to $40,000 and will continue to solicit support from alumni and supporters. To give to the Emergency Student Fund, visit www.givegab.com/campaigns/lhu-emergency-student-fund.

Finally, LHU is finalizing a plan to administer CARES Act funding to financially support students. The funding provided through CARES will help to defray costs students have experienced as a result of the pandemic. While the strategy is currently being discussed, it will incorporate financial need to ensure that a maximum benefit is achieved for students and families.
“During such challenging times for our nation and our university, we recognize the financial stress that families and students are facing,” Lee said. “Through a variety of financial aid avenues, we are looking for all possible options to support our students’ financial needs and ensure that they continue successfully on their path to graduation.”