Schemes to Support Low-Income Students

LAU has robust schemes to support students from low or lower-middle-income countries, ensuring they have access to high-quality education and essential resources to succeed. Programs such as the USAID Higher Education Scholarship Program that has a special scholarship for foreign refugees or displaced individuals in Lebanon and the Tomorrow’s Leaders Undergraduate (TLU) and Graduate (TLG) Programs which also support capable and highly motivated young scholars from underserved backgrounds in the Middle and North African (MENA) region by providing a fully funded undergraduate and graduate level academic matriculation, civic education, and leadership development. These scholarships are funded by entities like the U.S. Department of State and USAID, provide full coverage of tuition, enrollment, and related institutional fees, effectively offering free education to eligible students.

Additionally, these programs include monthly stipends to cover food and other necessities, housing allowances or full dormitory coverage, and book allowances. For those commuting, transportation allowances are also provided. In cases where students face personal or academic challenges, they benefit from psychosocial support, academic advising, and mentoring services. These comprehensive schemes are designed to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds can focus on their academic and professional development without financial barriers.

Moreover, our university offers financial aid to students who need additional support to complete their studies. This aid is aimed at addressing the financial challenges faced by students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Through need-based scholarships, grants, and work-study opportunities, the financial aid office ensures that students can cover their educational and living expenses, allowing them to thrive academically and participate fully in university life. This ensures that every student has the opportunity to pursue their education, regardless of their financial background.

TL Undergraduate Program (TLU)

TLU Program Overview and Benefits

This program provides four-year university scholarships and internship opportunities at LAU to high school students who have the potential to become leaders. It aims to transform participants into well-rounded individuals, endowed with the knowledge and skills to be successful in the marketplace and to take on the challenges facing their home countries.

In addition to their studies, recipients are expected to engage in community service activities and internships. Limited English-language training is provided for some participants. Undergraduate students who maintain a 3.0 GPA may have an opportunity for a study abroad semester in the United States.

Student Life

In addition to pursuing rigorous academic studies on campus and a semester-long study abroad program in the United States, the LAU MEPI-TL students organize and participate in a number of supplemental activities designed to develop them into well-rounded professionals and leaders.

• Seminars/Roundtable discussions/Workshops: Academics, representatives of local and international NGOs, government officials, and business leaders lead students in a variety of programs.
• Site visits: Visits to businesses and public organizations, in addition to non-governmental and community associations give students a broad perspective on leadership and management as well as insight into the career paths available to them.
• Mentoring: The LAU MEPI-TL staff provides both academic and psychological support to students as they transition to life in Lebanon and the university. Selected faculty members also serve as mentors, trainers and supervisors to students throughout the duration of the program. In addition, new participants are paired with senior TL students who serve as mentors, helping newcomers quickly integrate into both the LAU community and the TL program.

Study Abroad in the United States

TL students have the opportunity to apply for a study abroad program and spend a semester in a US-affiliated partner university during their Junior year at LAU. Students are selected based on LAU’s study abroad rules and procedures. During their time in the States, students are expected to continue to pursue coursework toward their major requirements.

This experience is designed to broaden each student’s global perspective through cross-cultural and academic exchanges.

Supplemental Activities

In addition to their coursework, students are expected to participate in a number of supplemental activities aimed at developing their interpersonal, leadership and professional skills:

• Seminars/Roundtable discussions
• Summer internships
• Community service
• Networking activities
• Leadership skill-building
• Mentoring experiences
• TL Capstone Project

Student Governance

All LAU MEPI-TL students are encouraged to take a leadership role at LAU, so that they may affect their rights and lives at LAU. To this end, the students elect their representatives every October. The representatives liaise on the students’ behalf with the LAU MEPI-TL administrative team, and with the LAU student body and councils.

Leadership Engagements

In addition to their academic studies and supplemental activities, LAU MEPI-TL students benefit from leadership skills development programs and internships, which prepare them for leadership roles in the region’s public or private sector upon graduation.

Leadership skills sessions

Regularly conducted workshops and retreats help students build their leadership capabilities throughout the program. These sessions help students develop the soft skills key to being both a contributing team member and effective team leader.

Summer internships/Community service

The internships and community service programs have an international and reform focus. Students participate in summer internships following their freshman and sophomore years, as well as a six-month civic service project at the conclusion of the program. At the end of their internship/volunteer experiences, students prepare a public presentation.

Program Benefits

The LAU-MEPI Tomorrow’s Leaders Program provides exceptional opportunities and services for students, including:

• Full coverage of enrollment, tuition and related institutional fees.
• Medical insurance coverage
• A monthly living allowance
• An allowance for books
• A laptop
• Full housing coverage at LAU’s dormitories.(Double Room Occupancy)
• Leadership training including: team building, goal setting, time management, work ethics, public relations, networking, and other related skills.
• Exposure to and engagement in community development projects throughout Lebanon in order to learn about different forms of intervention and ways of interacting and interfacing with community-related issues and causes.
• Academic advising and mentoring services.

TL Graduate Program (TLG)

TLG Program Overview and Benefits

LAU was the first university in the MENA region to implement the Tomorrow’s Leaders Graduate (TLG) Program in 2018. The program is a fully funded scholarship by the United States Department of State, MEPI.

The Program spans over a period of two years with the purpose of equipping graduate students with the professional experience needed to advance their academic knowledge and engage in research that furthers the professionalization of emerging leaders while supporting and increasing scholars’ knowledge in gender issues in specific in their various fields of study.

Benefits

If you are accepted, the program will cover the following:

• Full coverage of all applicable charges for enrollment, tuition, and fees.
• University Medical insurance coverage.
• A monthly living allowance.
• One laptop for the duration of the program.
• A yearly book allowance.
• Student housing.
• Two roundtrip tickets to the student’s home country.
• Exposure to, and engagement in, different community development projects and/or internships in the host country, and/or their home countries. Through such projects and internships, TLG students learn about different forms of public and civic- engagement actions, to apply such learning back in their respective countries.
• Academic advising, mentoring services, and learning services.
• Professional training on leadership and gender;
• Opportunity to participate in the new Tomorrow’s Leaders College-to-work Pipeline as a part of the consortium between LAU and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Refugee/Displaced Scholarship Support

Requirements to Join RSS 2 Cohort 1

To be eligible to apply under RSS, parents must not be receiving an educational university subsidy of US $5,000 or more and students should:

1. Be a refugee/displaced student residing in Lebanon and holding a valid and legal Lebanese residency permit issued by the Lebanese authorities.
2. Not be an asylum seeker.
3. Be enrolled in a public or private high school in Lebanon for at least the last three years of your secondary education.
4. Have a cumulative average of 13.5/20 (Grades 10 and 11) if you are applying from a public school.
5. Have a cumulative average of 13.5/20 (Grades 10 and 11) if you are applying from a private school.
6. Obtain a minimum of 13.5/20 on the official Lebanese Baccalaureate exam.
7. Demonstrate past and present performance of service and community activities.
8. Not be registered at any university and not have completed studies at any university.
9. Register at LAU or AUB as a full-time student at all times.
10. Not have siblings who have benefited or are benefiting from any USP or US funded undergraduate scholarship.

Financial Aid Guidelines

If you are interested in being considered as a candidate for the RSS 2 Cohort 1 support program, you need to demonstrate financial need. Make sure to submit hard copies of all the financial aid required documents starting January 16 and prior to April 6, 2023.

The list of financial aid required documents

Sample of the financial aid required documents

IMPORTANT: Students should have at all times a valid residency permit in order to maintain the scholarship

Benefits of RSS 2

If you are accepted, RSS 2 will cover the following:

1. Full tuition fees for the duration of your program (as per LAU’s academic regulations), including one preparatory year if needed
2. Medical insurance
3. Book allowance
4. Student housing or transportation allowance

Please note that all those who shall be entitled to dorms are explicitly bound to clear rules and regulations. Dorms are segregated (dorms for girls - dorms for boys).

5. A monthly stipend for nine to eleven months per year depending on the major
6. Laptop
7. Counseling services and psychological support as needed
8. Support services shall be offered to women coming to live on campus, if and when needed

Need-Based Financial Aid

At LAU, we believe that all eligible students deserve an excellent education, regardless of financial limitations. LAU allocated a generous budget, possibly the highest in the region, for financial aid and scholarships for the upcoming academic year. LAU is committed to helping you fund your education regardless of your nationality, race, gender, religion or ethnicity.

We encourage you to apply for financial aid as early as possible.

Financial Aid is a package composed of the following elements:

LAU provides the following grants:

LAU Grants:

Awarded to students showing an element of need in accordance with specific need categories.

Hardship Grants: Awarded to students with extreme need.

Triplets Grant: This is an additional percentage that may be given to triplets demonstrating financial need and enrolled simultaneously at LAU.

Program Grants: Awarded to students majoring in programs requiring special promotional support in line with university enrollment goals.

Special Grants: These grants are awarded to selected students according to special agreements approved and signed by the LAU President and external donors or organizations. Applications, if required, are to be filled in the initial stage only.

Donors’ Grants

These grants are created through the generous donations of LAU benefactors.

• Tomooh/PepsiCo Scholarship

• Scholarship Amount:  To be determined by donor

• Eligibility:   Students demonstrating financial need.  Open for all majors

• Selection process: recipients will be selected by donor

• Duration of grant: renewed upon the discretion of the donor

• Application: Apply for the Tomooh/PepsiCo Scholarship

Educational Loans 

LAU is the only educational institution in Lebanon to offer educational loans as an additional financial support for its students.

The educational loan helps plan the financing of up to 10% of tuition fees. It carries zero interest while the student is registered at LAU, and a minimal interest rate (usually half the market rate) after he/she graduates, with a grace period of 9 years.

The loan does not replace financial aid; it is in addition to the financial aid package that students receive.

US Federal Aid

US Federal Aid: are fixed-rate student loans from the US Department of Education for undergraduate and graduate students attending university at least half-time. Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS loans can be granted to students from the United States of America who choose to study at LAU. View the details of the US Federal Aid.