Frequently Asked Questions, Facts and Figures
Frequently Asked Questions For Undergraduate Students
What’s the difference between financial aid and scholarships?
A scholarship is a discount based on academic performance. Whereas financial aid is a type of financial assistance awarded based on need.
Can you combine financial aid and scholarships?
Yes.
Who can apply for financial aid?
The purpose of the financial aid program is to assist any student (Lebanese or Non-Lebanese) who could not otherwise meet the cost of tuition. The student must demonstrate financial need.
How many credits do you have to take to be eligible for financial aid?
For regular financial aid, 12 billed credits in a regular semester (unless there are course restrictions or a student is graduating), or 5 billed credits in the summer term.
What factors affect your financial aid eligibility?
- Failure to demonstrate financial need.
- Misrepresentation, material omission or falsification of data given by the student.
- LAU budget availability.
- A cumulative GPA lower than 2.00.
- Two disciplinary warnings.
- Number of registered credits per semester.
What are the conditions and restriction of your need-based financial aid package?
- You must always register as a full-time student with a minimum of 12 credits per semester.
- You must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 at all times.
- You must abide by all LAU Rules, Regulations, Student Code of Conduct and respect all Financial Aid and Scholarships policies and procedures.
- Your eligibility for this financial aid is restricted to a number of semesters depending on the length of your major.
- The summer semester is covered provided you register for a minimum of five billed credits.
- The granting and continuation of all Financial Aid and Scholarships is subject to budget availability.
Are Intensive English students eligible for financial aid?
Intensive English students may be eligible for financial aid. However, they may only benefit from regular need-based financial aid and not from any other type of aid (scholarship, award or program grants).
Can students who benefit from external help apply for financial aid?
External help does not prevent a deserving student from receiving financial aid from LAU. However, external help, financial aid and scholarships should not exceed 100% of the tuition & extra fees.
If your sibling (s) is (are) benefitting or benefitted from financial aid at LAU, does that mean you will be automatically granted financial aid?
Not necessarily. Your file will be assessed by the Financial Aid Committee and decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
When should you apply for financial aid?
Check regular financial aid related deadlines.
What happens if you miss the deadline?
Such cases are studied individually. Applicants are urged to abide by the deadlines.
What documents are required when applying for financial aid?
View the list of required documents when applying for financial aid.
What information should you declare in your application?
Students are encouraged to ensure that all information provided in the application is complete and accurate. Transparency will allow the Financial Aid Committee to make an appropriate and fair decision.
If you join LAU in the summer term, can you apply for financial aid for summer?
No. You can apply for the following fall semester. You can only apply for either the Fall or the Spring semesters within set deadlines.
Can you benefit from financial aid during your first semester of enrollment?
Yes.
If you start benefitting from financial aid in the Spring semester. Does this mean your financial aid is valid until next spring semester?
No. The decision expires at the end of the current academic year. To maintain your aid, you should re-apply for the next academic year within set deadlines.
If you are granted financial aid but you don’t enroll in that semester, will the decision be automatically carried forward to the next semester?
You must submit a petition for reactivation of your file at the Admissions Office. Once your request is approved, you need to notify the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office to reactivate and reassess your file.
Is it true that a student who was not previously granted financial aid will not be able to petition for a change in decision?
No. Files are re-studied in that case. However, any stated changes should clearly be documented in the petition request.
How long can a student benefit from financial aid?
Is it true that financial aid is cancelled if a student gets a GPA below 2.00 in the first semester?
No, an additional grace semester is granted for the student to be able to raise CGPA.
Will financial aid be automatically restored if the student managed to increase his/her cumulative GPA to above 2.00?
Yes. This is why the student is urged to always re-apply for financial aid disregarding his/her CGPA.
How can financial aid be increased within the course of the same academic year?
By petitioning, within announced dates, to the Financial Aid & Scholarships Committee with documentation of new facts.
What happens if you withdraw from courses during the semester?
It is always better to refer to the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office with your case for clear input.
Can you request a loan without a financial aid application?
No.
How fair and confidential is the financial aid process at LAU?
LAU is committed to helping students without any favoritism or bias. Staff and committee members comply with the university’s confidentiality policy governing protected information and undergo annual external and internal audits.
Frequently Asked Questions For Graduate Students
What’s the difference between graduate assistantships and other forms of financial aid?
Graduate assistantships are granted by schools, per certain criteria, to a number of master’s degree students, whereas other forms of financial aid are granted by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office mainly.