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Admission

Financial Aid

Moravian College offers financial aid to qualified students in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, and student employment. Such aid is intended to supplement the financial resources of the student's family. It is based on the applicant's academic promise and documented financial need. More than 90% of Moravian students receive financial aid in some form, and most offers of aid include a combination of grants, loans, and student employment.

Students seeking federal grants and loans may apply using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students interested in applying for state grants must apply in accordance with their home state's application requirements. To be considered for institutional grants, students also should submit the required Moravian College application. Application deadlines are March 15 for entering first-year students and April 15 for upperclass students. All forms are available in high school guidance offices, from the Financial Aid Office at Moravian, and on the Moravian College website.

To be awarded financial aid, an applicant must be a full-time, academically qualified student, and must have submitted all required financial aid forms as well as all requested supporting documentation to establish eligibility for need-based aid. In some cases, an applicant may qualify for certain designated scholarships offered by the College. A list of these scholarships is available from the Financial Aid Office.

Moravian College offers merit scholarships to new students without regard to financial need. Merit scholarship programs are designed to recognize outstanding achievements, special talents, and future promise of selected students who have demonstrated the potential to make significant contributions while enrolled at Moravian. Annual renewal is contingent upon the student's maintaining a specified quality-point average. The number of scholarships is limited. Preference is given to on-time applicants.

  • The Comenius Medallion Scholarship, Moravian's most prestigious award, recognizes a limited number of freshmen with scholarships up to full tuition. To qualify, students should rank in the top 5% of their high school class and score at least 2150 on the SAT.
  • The Comenius Scholarship recognizes freshmen who rank in the top 10% of their high school class and score at least 1850 on the SAT.
  • The Trustee Scholarship is awarded to students with academic potential and a strong history of involvement in school and community activities. Candidates should score at least 1750 on the SAT or rank in the top 20% of their high school class.
  • The Founders Scholarship is awarded to students who score at least 1700 on the SAT or rank in the top 30% of their high school class.
  • The Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship is awarded to transfer students who are members of this academic honors organization.

The merit scholarships listed above may be combined with other awards but not with each other; those below may be combined with each other and with other awards:

  • The Moravian College Heritage Grant is awarded to first-generation students, those who have faced particularly challenging circumstances in preparing for college, those who have demonstrated a strong interest in promoting diversity, or students whose annual family income is below $50,000. One award is reserved for a deserving student from the Bethlehem Area School District; two awards are reserved for students transferring from Northampton Community College and Lehigh Carbon Community College.
  • The J. H. Clewell Scholarship is awarded for superior academic performance and interest in science.
  • The Presidential Science Scholarship is awarded to students with a strong academic record and interest in science.
  • The Emerging Leaders Scholarship recognizes students whose high school accomplishments suggest the greatest potential for continued leadership while at Moravian. In addition to a financial award, these students are given automatic membership in the Moravian College Leadership Center and priority consideration for participation in the Cornell University LeaderShape Program. Potential recipients are contacted and invited to submit an essay describing their leadership accomplishments.
  • The Legacy Grant is awarded to students who are the children or grandchildren of Moravian College alumni.
Note: The SAT criteria used to determine merit scholarship eligibility are based on the critical reading, math, and writing portions of the SAT.

Financial aid awarded for the first year is normally renewable from year to year provided that evidence of need remains (in the case of need-based awards), that funds continue to be available, and that the student maintains satisfactory academic standards and progress toward a degree. Students must apply for aid every year and are responsible for seeing that the forms, available in December, are completed in time for the Financial Aid Office to receive them by April 15.

To continue receiving federal, state, and institutional financial aid, students must initially achieve a minimum GPA of 1.40 at the end of the first academic year; 1.70 after 12 scheduled course units; 1.80 after 18 units; and 2.00 after 24 units. Full-time students must complete a minimum of six course units each academic year and must fulfill all degree requirements within a maximum of 10 regular terms. Evaluation of a student's eligibility is made annually, and eligibility may be withdrawn if a student is not maintaining the prescribed standards. Students who are denied financial aid for lack of academic progress may appeal in writing to the director of financial aid. Details of Moravian's financial aid policy are available from the director of financial aid and are distributed each year.

In determining eligibility for federal student loans, the Financial Aid Office must apply the satisfactory academic progress policy as well as the College's criteria for class membership, which are based on the number of course units completed (see class standing). In applying these criteria, loan levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 correspond to freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior standing, respectively.

Further information on Moravian's financial-aid program and information on student employment is available from the Financial Aid Office, Moravian College, 1200 Main Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018, 610 861-1330, or from the financial aid page of the College's website.