Scholarships & Grants

Awarded to children of alumni who graduated from the College. No application required. The amount is $2,500 per year, for a maximum per-student benefit of $10,000 over the course of four years. A student may only receive one Child of Alumni Award even if both parents/stepparents are graduates. Eligible students must be enrolled full time and pursuing their first bachelor’s degree.

Alumni who have earned an LVC bachelor’s degree qualify for the Alumni Tuition Discount (ATD), which is a 25% discount of full-time undergraduate tuition charges. The value is included in the financial aid offer; no application necessary. Alumni who do not plan on filing the FAFSA must notify the Financial Aid Office to waive this requirement and award the ATD. Alumni who enroll for less than 12 credits per semester are eligible for a discount of the per-credit tuition rate.

Alumni are welcome to refer high school students to LVC. Students who are offered admission to the College will receive a $1,000 per year Alumni Referral Scholarship for up to four years of full-time undergraduate enrollment. Alumni can complete the Alumni Referral Scholarship Form for students as early as 9th grade, but the application must be submitted prior to the student receiving admission to LVC.

Parents who are alumni of LVC are not eligible to refer their own children because their children will be eligible to receive the Children of Alumni Award.

This scholarship is available to high school students who participate in district, regional, or state competitive ensembles (Band, Choir, or Orchestra); no application required. The ensemble scholarship is $2,500 per year for up to four years and is open to all majors. To qualify, students must:

• Indicate their involvement in a competitive ensemble on the admission application
• Provide the LVC Music Department with proof of participation
• Enroll in a large ensemble (Symphonic Band, Marching Band, Symphonic Orchestra, College Choir, or Concert Choir) for their four years as a LVC student

All of the above steps must be completed to be eligible. This scholarship is not stackable with the Honors Ensemble Scholarship.

Each year, Lebanon Valley College names seven new Carmean Talent Award recipients based on musical merit. These awards provide $1,500 per year for up to four years, as long as the student remains enrolled in a music major. Students are required to audition by Feb. 15 each year for consideration.

This scholarship is for high school students who participate in one of LVC’s Honors Music Ensembles (Honors Band, Honors Choir, or Honors Orchestra); no application required.

The Honors Ensemble Scholarship is for $2,500 per year for up to four years. Honors Scholarship recipients must be accepted to LVC and participate in a large ensemble (Symphonic Band, Marching Band, Symphonic Orchestra, College Choir, or Concert Choir) every semester for their four years as an LVC student.

This award is available to high school seniors accepted to LVC. It is not stackable with the Competitive Ensemble Scholarship.

The Mecham Music Scholarship is awarded to prospective music majors and is awarded based on their audition. Students must file the FAFSA, complete their LVC admission application, and audition by Feb. 15 to be eligible.

The Mecham Music Scholarship ranges from $1,000–$5,000 per year for up to four years, depending on financial need. You must file the FAFSA to be considered for this award.

Students may receive the Mecham Music Scholarship OR the Departmental Scholarship, but not both. More information about how financial need is determined can be found here.

Students not majoring in music are eligible to audition for a LVC Music Lessons Scholarship.

This scholarship covers the cost of a weekly 30-minute music lesson with an LVC faculty member. Students who successfully audition and are awarded the scholarship must enroll and participate in a large LVC ensemble (Symphonic Band, Marching Band, Symphonic Orchestra, College Choir, or Concert Choir) for their four years as a LVC student.

Information about auditioning for this scholarship and requirements for specific instruments can be found on the Prospective Student Information page on the Music Department website. To schedule an audition, contact the Music Department at music@lvc.edu. The application deadline is April 30.

This prestigious full-tuition scholarship is awarded to high-achieving, first-time first-year students. Applications are by invitation only. Allwein Scholars also receive three $2,500 stipends throughout their time at LVC for research, travel, or study expenses associated with study abroad, internships, and/or collaborative research.

Students eligible for this scholarship will be invited to apply. To receive priority consideration for the John Bowman Allwein Scholarship, we recommend submitting a completed admission application by Nov. 15.

Recipients must maintain a semester grade point average of 3.0 to retain the full-tuition scholarship and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to retain the $2,500 stipend.

The Graham Biology Scholarship is a $5,000 per year scholarship for up to four years awarded on a competitive basis to high school seniors who have been admitted to the LVC biology program. To qualify, students must…

• Plan to declare a major in Biology
• Have a strong high school academic record [minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in high school and in biology courses]
• Submit an application, which includes a brief essay

Apply for the Graham Biology Scholarship here.

Students awarded the Graham Biology Scholarship will be limited in the amount of Departmental Scholarship they can receive, if otherwise eligible. For example, if the Departmental Scholarship is less than $2,500, it will be rescinded. If the Departmental Scholarship is $2,500 or more, it will be limited to a maximum amount of $2,500.

To maintain the Graham Biology Scholarship, students must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative and major GPA and continue to major in Biology for all four years at LVC.

The O’Donnell Scholarship in Physics gives $5,000 per year for up to four years to high school seniors who have been offered admission to Lebanon Valley College. In our selection process for this scholarship, we look for students who:

• Plan to declare a major in physics, engineering (the physics track), or the physics/secondary education certification
• Rank in the top 10% of their high school class or have a strong academic record from a school that does not rank
• Submit an application, which includes a résumé outlining any extracurricular activities, community service, employment, and science-related experience

Students awarded the O’Donnell Scholarship will be limited in the amount of Departmental Scholarship they can receive, if otherwise eligible. For example, if the Departmental Scholarship is less than $2,500, it will be rescinded. If the Departmental Scholarship is $2,500 or more, it will be limited to a maximum amount of $2,500.

To maintain the O’Donnell Scholarship in Physics, students must have a 3.0 GPA overall and continue to major in Physics for all four years at LVC.

The J. Robert O’Donnell Scholarship in Literature is a $1,250 per year for up to four years scholarship awarded on a competitive basis to high school seniors who have been offered admission to Lebanon Valley College. In our selection process for this scholarship, we look for students who:

• Plan to declare a major in English or Creative Writing
• Have a strong academic record
• Submit an application by March 1, which includes a résumé outlining extracurricular activities, community service, employment, and related experience.

To maintain the O’Donnell Scholarship in Literature, students must have a 3.0 GPA overall and continue to major in English or Creative Writing for all four years at LVC.

Prospective LVC students majoring in Creative Writing are invited to submit their portfolio for review to qualify for the Creative Writing Fellows Scholarship. Two $2,500 scholarships are awarded per year, for up to four years. The award is based solely on the quality of your portfolio work.

Portfolio Guidelines:

• Students should submit up to 10 typed pages of their own original, creative work in fiction, poetry, or a mix of the two genres
• Excerpts from longer works are permitted. Prose works should be double-spaced, and all works should be in a standard size 12 font
• Students are encouraged to submit well-polished pieces that best represent themselves as a writer at the time of portfolio submission
• Students should include their name, contact information, and the title(s) of the work on a cover page as the first page of the submission, but no identifying information should appear on the works themselves

Please send portfolios with a cover page as a single Microsoft Word document to Dr. Holly M. Wendt at wendt@lvc.edu, no later than February 1.

Portfolios are reviewed by department faculty. Award recipient decisions are made by February 15.

In addition to receiving the scholarship and all the exciting opportunities LVC Creative Writing Majors receive, Creative Writing Fellows will be featured in a Senior Reading during Lebanon Valley College’s annual Inquiry Celebration, provided they remain enrolled at the college, in good academic standing, and in the creative writing major.

Students awarded a Creative Writing Scholarship will be limited in the amount of Departmental Scholarship they can receive, if otherwise eligible. For example, if the Departmental Scholarship is $2,500 or more, it will be reduced by $1,250. If the Departmental Scholarship is less than $2,500, no reduction will be made.

By invitation only, the Kaleidoscope award is a $20,000 scholarship that affirms the intersectionality of the identities students hold, including historically underserved, underrepresented, and marginalized identities. In addition to the award, Kaleidoscope Scholars participate in programming related to diversity, equity, and inclusion; attend conferences; and conduct and present research. Through these immersive experiences, Kaleidoscope Scholars help to cultivate Inclusive Excellence and gain leadership skills.

LVC’s #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarship is for first-year international student applicants, and provides at least two recipients with a 50% discount on tuition per year, for up to four years.

Students who meet the eligibility requirements must complete the scholarship application form and submit a 500-1,000 word essay or a two-to-five minute video explaining how they will advance intercultural learning and understanding on their future campuses. All scholarship applications and videos should be emailed to international@lvc.edu by February 15.

The #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarship may not be stacked on top of any other grants or scholarships from LVC.

Eligibility Requirements:

• First-year international applicants of any major. International applicants are individuals who hold citizenship in a country outside the U.S. and who don’t also possess U.S. citizenship or permanent residency
• Demonstrated interest and initiative in promoting intercultural learning and exchange
• Completion of a scholarship application and a 500-1000 word essay or a two-to-five minute video describing their aspirations to engage in projects, research, employment or other experiences that will advance intercultural learning.

For more information, please visit here.

Lebanon Valley College is affiliated with the United Methodist (UM) Church, which provides scholarship opportunities for students. Qualified applicants must have been members of the UM Church for at least one year and must demonstrate commitment to the church. Financial need is also considered when selecting recipients. Awards are worth $500-$1,000 annually for up to four years, and may be made either by the College or through one of the national UM headquarters.

Visit here for additional information and application details.

Scholarships for Fall terms open the preceding January and remain open until March 1. Apply early as funds are limited.

Scholarship applications may also be completed online for scholarships awarded by the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation (UMHEF). To apply for a scholarship from the UMHEF, click here.

Students are encouraged to check those websites regularly as the availability of funds dictates which time of the year applications are accepted. Also take careful note of deadlines that may vary from scholarship to scholarship.

Some additional UM scholarships are awarded annually at the college level to enrolled students who demonstrate financial need. You may add your name to a roster of UM students by contacting the Financial Aid Office at finaid@lvc.edu. Please specify “United Methodist Scholarship” on the subject line of your email request and include your name and address in the body of the message. In addition, please provide the name and address of the UM church where you are a member and specify the conference to which your church belongs. As scholarships become available, they will be awarded to students listed on the roster. Some scholarships carry a minimum GPA requirement.

Louise Stevenson, Ph.D., and Philip Zimmerman, Ph.D., P’09 established the Thaddeus Project to convey gratitude for the educational guidance that their daughter, Lila Stevenson Zimmerman ’09, received at LVC. The donors are pleased to offer students in the humanities and select social sciences the opportunity to apply for internship funding to support career preparation.

Learn more about the Thaddeus Project on the Breen Center’s internal website.

Grace Zerbe, class of 1930, received her B.A. degree in English from Lebanon Valley College. She worked as a teacher and professor of Latin and French. The funds from the Hobson Zerbe Trust, which enable us to offer this scholarship, were donated for the “stimulation of the modern and classical foreign languages and improvement of international relations through good foreign language study.” The scholarship offers funding to students who wish to earn three (3) or more credits in a country where the language of the major or minor is the language of instruction.

Learn more and apply for the Zerbe Summer Study Abroad Scholarship here.

We encourage our students to consider applying for one or more exciting national and international scholarship and fellowship opportunities, such as the Fulbright, Udall, and Truman Awards.

Explore fellowship programs and scholarships here.

The Departmental Scholarship is an academic scholarship awarded to prospective students. It is based on your academic achievement in high school and your potential to academically contribute to LVC. Music majors are eligible for the Mecham Music Scholarship in place of the Departmental Scholarship. For more information, see the Music Scholarships section on this page.

The Departmental Scholarship ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 per year for up to four years, depending on financial need. The award amount is determined at the time the financial aid offer is prepared. Students may only receive one Departmental Scholarship. More information about how financial need is determined can be found here.

The LVC eSports program offers a scholarship to any student-athlete ranked Level 1 or Level 2 out of four levels. Student-athletes who try out or interview are considered for a $2,500 scholarship each year, up to $10,000 total. For more information, contact David Shapiro, eSports Director of Operations, at shapiro@lvc.edu.

You must fill out the FAFSA to be considered.

The Lutz Scholarship is a need-based scholarship for students who reside in the Cocalico School District and who have been accepted to LVC as full-time undergraduates. The scholarship amount is dependent on the student’s financial need and the funding level for the academic year, but the amount typically ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 per year for up to four years. More information about how financial need is determined can be found here.

Applicants are required to complete the FAFSA with a priority deadline of February 15. A separate application is not required. Graduates of Cocalico High School will automatically be considered.