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Lehigh scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$88,600per year · 2025-2026 · On-campus
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Lehigh awards automatic merit on admission. Lehigh does not publish a GPA or test chart, so you cannot self-calculate the dollars.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jul 2026
6 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. Founder's and Trustees' ScholarshipsFull tuition or half tuition per yearNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Founder's and Trustees' Scholarships

    Full tuition or half tuition per year

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Founder's and Trustees' Scholarships

    Who qualifies

    All applicants automatically considered during admission review, no separate application required. Recipients described as the top tier of the applicant pool. Test-optional; no published GPA/SAT/ACT cutoffs.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for up to 8 semesters (10 for five-year Arts/Engineering programs). Requires minimum 3.0 GPA and full-time enrollment.

    Worth knowing

    At 2026-2027 tuition of $69,420, full tuition covers $69,420/year and half tuition covers $34,710/year.

  2. Dean's Scholarship$15,000 to $25,000 per yearNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Dean's Scholarship

    $15,000 to $25,000 per year

    Published rangeNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Dean's Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    All applicants automatically considered during admission review, no separate application. Awarded for academic excellence and demonstrated leadership. Starting with Fall 2024 entering class. Test-optional.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for up to 8 semesters (10 for five-year programs). Requires minimum 3.0 GPA and full-time enrollment.

  3. Soaring Together ScholarshipFull tuitionNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    Soaring Together Scholarship

    Full tuition

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Soaring Together Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Competitive. Requires a separate application with a creative submission (500-word essay, video under 5 minutes, slides, social media account, or other creative format) addressing gender equity. Deadline February 1. Approximately 8-10 awards per incoming class (~50 total scholars across all class years per live source). Eligibility is open: 'Any first-year applicant, beginning with applicants to the Class of 2030, are welcome to apply' (verbatim per Lehigh's Soaring Together page); no gender-identity restriction; the program celebrates 50 years of Lehigh women and coeducation but does not require female/non-binary identification to apply.

    How to keep it

    Renewal conditions not published on lehigh.edu.

  4. National Merit Scholarship$1,000 to $2,000 per yearAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    National Merit Scholarship

    $1,000 to $2,000 per year

    Published rangeAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    Start with the award’s published eligibility.

    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for National Merit Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    Automatic for National Merit Finalists who select Lehigh as first choice and are not receiving other National Merit aid. The catalog specifies $2,000 annually for finalists.

    How to keep it

    Renewal details not explicitly stated on the merit page.

Lights up against Lehigh's published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office. Award terms and residency rules change; some awards differ for in-state and out-of-state students. Always confirm at the school’s source page.

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The fine print

Cutoff cliffOne ACT point can move the award by +$9,710/yr ($34,710 - $25,000)

Lehigh publishes a tier ladder where crossing Top Dean's → half-tuition Founder's/Trustees' changes the marginal value by +$9,710/yr ($34,710 - $25,000). First step out of the Dean's band into the Founder's/Trustees' tier.

Renewal ruleFounder's and Trustees' Scholarships: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Renewable for up to 8 semesters (10 for five-year Arts/Engineering programs). Requires minimum 3.0 GPA and full-time enrollment. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Outside awardsDifferent aid types are displaced differently

Lehigh treats loans, work-study, and institutional grant under different rules. The same $5,000 outside award can land against any of them depending on category.

Linderman Library at Lehigh University

Linderman Library at Lehigh University

What makes Lehigh different

A private research university where 11.5% of first-year students receive non-need institutional merit averaging $21,666, with the Founder's and Trustees' Scholarships covering full or half tuition, Dean's Scholarships at $15,000 to $25,000 per year, and a new Soaring Together full-tuition program for gender equity, all renewable with a 3.0 GPA.

Read our full reasoning

Worth optimizing your whole application for if you're a top-of-pool admit, but the big money is holistic, not stat-triggered, and outside aid can hit a cost-of-attendance ceiling.

Lehigh's published merit is almost entirely holistic. Only the $2,000/yr National Merit award is automatic on stats (Finalists who name Lehigh first choice); everything larger is decided in the admission review with no published GPA or test cutoffs. The biggest computable dollar step is from a top Dean's Scholarship ($25,000/yr) to a full-tuition Founder's/Trustees' ($69,420/yr) — a +$44,420/yr swing — but you can't test-prep your way there, so treat strong overall admit positioning as the lever. Stacking is mixed: private outside scholarships are loan-first (protective — they cut loans and work-study before grants), but state grants displace the Lehigh Grant dollar-for-dollar, and once total aid exceeds the $89,820 cost of attendance, Lehigh cuts its own aid. Note: no Lehigh tier covers full cost of attendance. Want the competitive full-tuition Soaring Together award? Its separate creative application is due February 1.

Merit tiers41 based on grades or scores
First-year students with school awards12%First-year students, CDS 2025-2026
Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

More than one award path

Separate the two paths.

Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

  1. Match the published criteria

    Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take Lehigh's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

Straight from the aid office

What Lehigh's aid office says

Per the Office of Financial Aid, Lehigh University, August 2026. How we verify

Merit scholarship evaluation authority

Who evaluates students for merit scholarships?

Merit scholarships (based on achievements, talents, skills, etc.) are evaluated by the Admissions Office, not the Financial Aid Office.

“Our Admissons Office evalutes students for merit scholarships (awards based on personal achievements, talents, skills, etc).”
Outside scholarships and aid reduction

If my son brings in an outside scholarship, what gets reduced?

If total aid from all sources exceeds the total cost of attendance, Lehigh will reduce the institutional aid it gives, not specifying loans separately.

“if at any point the total aid that a student receives from all sources exceeds the total cost of attendance, we will reduce the institutional aid given by Lehigh.”
GPA/transcript evaluation for merit aid

How does Lehigh evaluate academic performance for merit aid?

Lehigh reviews transcripts holistically in the context of the student's curriculum, considering unweighted GPA plus course rigor (AP/IB/Honors) rather than a single rigid formula.

“Lehigh University reviews transcripts holistically within the context of a student's high school curriculum. While admissions considers the unweighted GPA to assess core classroom performance, we also evaluate course rigor (such as AP, IB, or Honors classes) alongside the transcript rather than relying on a single rigid formula.”
Superscoring of test scores

Does Lehigh superscore standardized test results?

Lehigh superscores standardized test results, and the highest superscored results are fully factored into admission and merit scholarship review.

“We also do superscore testing standardized testing scores. The highest superscored results will be fully factored into his review for both admission and merit scholarship decisions.”
Merit scholarship application process

Does the student need a separate application for merit scholarships?

The student is automatically considered for merit scholarships upon submitting the Common Application, with no additional application or deadline required.

“is automatically considered when he submits his Common Application for undergraduate admission—no additional application or separate deadline is necessary.”
Talent award applications

Are there separate applications for specialized talent awards?

Specialized talent awards, such as performing arts or departmental honors programs, require a separate supplemental application and have their own deadlines.

“if he is interested in specialized talent awards (such as performing arts or specific departmental honors programs), those do require a separate supplemental application and specific deadlines.”
Renewal duration of merit awards

How long are Lehigh's merit scholarships renewable?

Lehigh's merit awards are renewable annually for up to eight consecutive undergraduate semesters (four years), provided the student maintains full-time status and meets the required cumulative GPA threshold.

“Lehigh’s merit awards are renewable annually for up to eight consecutive undergraduate semesters (four years), provided he maintains full-time status and meets the required cumulative GPA threshold—which is typically a 3.0 for general academic merit scholarships.”
Probationary period for GPA dips

What happens if a student's GPA falls below the required threshold?

If a student's cumulative GPA dips below the required threshold at year's end, Lehigh typically grants a probationary period rather than immediately revoking the award, giving time to restore standing before aid eligibility is affected.

“If a student's cumulative GPA dips below the required threshold at the end of an academic year, Lehigh typically grants a probationary period rather than immediately stripping the award, giving the student time to restore their standing to the required standard before aid eligibility is impacted”

What families often miss

  1. The Asa Packer name appears on lehigh.edu only for a graduate MBA Social Entrepreneurship Award and the Asa Packer Society (a donor recognition program). It is not a named undergraduate merit scholarship. The actual undergraduate tiers are Founder's and Trustees' (full or half tuition) and Dean's ($15,000-$25,000).

  2. Music and choral scholarships have a January 10 deadline, and theatre scholarships close February 10. These are available to students of any major and are stackable with academic merit awards. Many families focus only on the automatic merit consideration and miss thousands in arts funding their student could have earned.

  3. A Pennsylvania State Grant directly reduces the Lehigh University Grant by the same amount. The student's net cost stays the same. Families should still apply (it does not hurt), but should not expect a state grant to lower their out-of-pocket bill at Lehigh.

See award cutoffs and special programs

What each named tier pays

Lehigh determines nearly all merit holistically during admission review with no published stat cutoffs, so these are tiers, not stat-keyed outcomes. Only National Merit is automatic on stats.

Student profileLikely outcome
National Merit Finalist · names Lehigh first choiceNational Merit — $1,000-$2,000/yr ($2,000 for Finalists per catalog)The only automatic-on-stats tier. Renewal not explicitly stated on the merit page.
Strong admit · holistic reviewDean's Scholarship — $15,000-$25,000/yrAcademic excellence plus demonstrated leadership; Fall 2024 entering class onward. Test-optional, no published cutoffs.
Top-of-pool admit · holistic reviewFounder's/Trustees' — half tuition $34,710/yr or full tuition $69,420/yrRecipients described as the top tier of the applicant pool. Renews up to 8 semesters (10 for five-year Arts/Engineering) at a 3.0 GPA.
Any first-year applicant · separate creative application, Feb 1 deadlineSoaring Together — full tuition $69,420/yrCompetitive, ~8-10 awards per class. Open eligibility (no gender-identity restriction). Renewal conditions not published.

The dollar steps up Lehigh's ladder

Each step is the arithmetic delta between two named tiers. Because Lehigh's larger awards are holistic, these are jumps in award level, not stat thresholds you can target with test prep. Tuition figures are 2026-2027.

ThresholdMarginal value
Top Dean's → half-tuition Founder's/Trustees'+$9,710/yr ($34,710 - $25,000)First step out of the Dean's band into the Founder's/Trustees' tier.
Half-tuition → full-tuition Founder's/Trustees'+$34,710/yr ($69,420 - $34,710)Half tuition to full tuition within the top tier.
Top Dean's → full-tuition Founder's/Trustees'+$44,420/yr ($69,420 - $25,000)Largest computable single jump in the published ladder, but holistic, not stat-triggered.
See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Families targeting an engineering-strong research university in the Lehigh Valley where merit is awarded through holistic review with no published stat cutoffs. Lehigh is test-optional but rates test scores as Important in admissions. Students of any major can earn performing arts scholarships in music, choral, theatre, and marching band through separate applications with January and February deadlines, making them easy to miss and easy to stack.

Cost of attendance$88,600 for 2025-2026Each bar is the full published cost for that scenario, sized against the highest figure so totals compare at a glance.
On-campus$88,600
  • Tuition & fees
  • Housing & food
  • Books
  • Personal

Official Lehigh Act 69 (2024) cost-transparency table, 2025-26 column. Tuition $66,810 + Fees $1,110 + Housing & Meals $18,180 + Books $1,000 + Personal $1,500 = $88,600. (Lehigh's separately published 'typical' six-area billed figure of $86,100 reflects a specific room/meal-plan selection; the Act 69 per-component COA is used here.)

Lehigh cost-of-attendance source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Lehigh, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Lehigh, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$16,917
$30,001–$48,000$17,140
$48,001–$75,000$18,722
$75,001–$110,000$22,184
$110,001+$48,751
All income levels (average)$36,931

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$64,980
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$36,931

That works out to roughly a 54% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $80,856 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
88%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
94%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$21,960 (~$233/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$105,584
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
19%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
43%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

Outside scholarships first reduce loans and work-study. If total aid exceeds cost of attendance, Lehigh reduces institutional aid. State grants directly displace Lehigh grants dollar-for-dollar. Employer tuition benefits displace Lehigh grants once total gift-aid exceeds calculated need.

Lehigh's published policy states outside scholarships may require adjustment of loans and work-study if total need-based aid exceeds FAFSA-determined financial need (loan-first, which is favorable). However, if total aid from all sources exceeds the cost of attendance, Lehigh will reduce institutional aid. State grants are treated differently: a state grant directly reduces the Lehigh University Grant dollar-for-dollar. Employer tuition benefits trigger grant reduction once total gift-aid exceeds calculated financial need, which is more aggressive than the private-scholarship treatment. Students must report all outside aid to the financial aid office.

Source

More school data

From the Lehigh Common Data Set 2025-2026:

Merit penetrationHow likely is merit aid here?From Lehigh’s Common Data Set: the share of first-year students who receive institutional merit and the average dollar amount when they do.
12%of admitsget merit
Average award$21,666Covers ~24% of $88,600 cost of attendance

At Lehigh, roughly 1 in 8 first-year admits receive institutional merit aid. The average award is $21,666 — about 24% of total cost.

SAT mid-50%1380–148025th / 75th percentile
ACT mid-50%31–3425th / 75th percentile
Receive institutional merit12%First-year students
Average merit award$21,666Across recipients

Source: Common Data Set

Other Lehigh scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

Amount$5,000 per yearEligibilityMust join University Choir plus one additional ensemble. Free vocal lessons provided. Open to students of any major. Separate music department application, deadline January 10.

Renewable for four years with 2.8 GPA. This is available to non-music majors, making it easy to overlook.

Source

Amount$5,000 per yearEligibilityMust participate in two ensembles. Free lessons on primary instrument. Open to any major. Separate application, deadline January 10.

Renewable for four years with 2.8 GPA. Non-music majors who play an instrument often miss this.

Source

Amount$3,000 per yearEligibilityExceptional talent in performance, design, technical, or playwriting. Active involvement in Department of Theatre required. Separate application, deadline February 10.

Renewable for four years with 2.8 GPA.

Source

Amount$1,500 per year, increasing annually over four yearsEligibilityMust perform with the Marching 97 (Lehigh's marching band). Separate application, deadline January 10.

Renewable for four years with 2.8 GPA. Any major eligible.

Source

Lehigh merit aid FAQ

  • Does Lehigh automatically consider all applicants for merit scholarships?

    For the Founder's/Trustees' and Dean's Scholarships, yes. All applicants are automatically considered during admission review with no separate application needed. However, performing arts scholarships (music, choral, theatre, marching band) and the Soaring Together Scholarship require separate applications with deadlines in January and February.

  • What GPA does my student need to keep their Lehigh merit scholarship?

    The Founder's/Trustees' and Dean's Scholarships require a minimum 3.0 GPA and full-time enrollment. Performing arts and marching scholarships require a 2.8 GPA minimum. The Phi Theta Kappa transfer scholarship also requires 2.8. All academic merit awards are renewable for up to 8 semesters (10 for five-year Arts/Engineering programs).

  • Is Lehigh test-optional, and do test scores affect merit scholarship consideration?

    Lehigh is test-optional (SAT/ACT submission is recommended but not required). The CDS rates standardized test scores as Important, not Very Important, in admission decisions. The merit scholarship page does not list minimum test scores for any award tier. The enrolled class middle 50% is SAT 1380-1480 and ACT 31-34.

  • What is the realistic chance of getting merit aid at Lehigh?

    Per the CDS (2025-2026), 177 out of 1,535 first-year students (11.5%) who had no financial need received institutional non-need-based merit scholarships, averaging $21,666. The Dean's Scholarship ranges from $15,000 to $25,000, while Founder's/Trustees' covers full or half tuition ($34,710 or $69,420 at 2026-2027 rates). Roughly 1 in 9 first-year students receives pure merit aid.

  • Can performing arts scholarships stack with academic merit at Lehigh?

    The CDS confirms Lehigh awards non-need-based aid for academics, art, athletics, leadership, and music/drama as separate criteria. However, if total aid from all sources exceeds cost of attendance, Lehigh will reduce institutional aid. Contact Financial Aid to confirm stacking rules for your specific combination.

See sources and other schools

How Lehigh compares

  • 32 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use mixed displacement.

    Lehigh is in the small minority (32 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Lehigh is one of them. The cohort minority (84 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

  • 63 of 749 verified schools publish a marginal-value cliff table we can quantify.

    Lehigh is one of them. Most schools won't tell families what one ACT point is actually worth. At the schools that do, a strategic retake is sometimes mathematically more valuable than test-optional positioning.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against Lehigh’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

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