Tuition for standards and for fairness
Dear LAU students,
With the economy in Lebanon moving towards dollarization, our institution can no longer continue on the same financial path:
- Our budget costs and overheads have shifted almost entirely to fresh USD namely for fuel, maintenance, laboratory consumables, equipment, supplies, research support, technologies and facilities.
- The gap between what we are paying and what we are getting paid has gotten extremely wide.
- LAU is facing another major wave of attrition and brain drain, and we must do what we can to retain our faculty, physicians and staff.
- The cash withdrawals from our endowment have been maximized and we cannot draw more on the endowment without risking the continuity of the university.
To sustain LAU, and continue with our academic excellence standards while addressing LAU’s affordability, LAU has decided:
- To adopt a fresh dollar budget effective Fall 2022 to financially sustain the full value of your education.
- To increase the Financial Aid budget to a record $100 million or more as needed, to support the great majority of our students.
The new net tuition amounts (which are your tuition and student fees minus the admission deposit, financial aid, scholarships, and loans) for Fall 2022 will be based on affordability. The Financial Aid will be fairly distributed, and will be based on the financial capacity of each student.
For you dear students, as we have always done, especially in spring 2021 when we increased Financial Aid, we are stepping in again to ensure that you stay and graduate from LAU. If you have not applied for Financial Aid for Fall 2022, you can do so here as of April 4.
Furthermore, we have restored the LAU Educational Loan option which you can apply to here. This is a minimal interest loan which carries no interest fees while you are registered, and then very low interest rates after you graduate, with a long repayment period. Moreover, you may consider applying for external funds here by clicking on “Donors’ Grants”.
We want to reassure you, dear students, that despite these challenging times, LAU is by your side and we will do whatever we can to help you continue your studies and graduate on time.
We believe that our greatest contribution to Lebanon’s healing and to the future of its youth is ensuring the continued existence of LAU as an accredited world-class university, recognized and highly ranked in our region, that can prepare its students for a future of success in an intensely competitive world.
Michel E. Mawad, M.D.
President