For many prospective college students, financial aid is a major deciding factor. Luther College is hoping that as a result of new scholarship offerings, more students will make the decision to become a Norse.
On September 25, Luther College announced that new scholarships will be available for new first-year and transfer students starting next fall. Changes include a new scholarship for first-generation college students, as well as several thousand dollar increases in the total amount of all five of Luther’s academic merit scholarships. Notably the Founders’ Scholarship, the highest merit-based scholarship offered by the college, will grow from $28,000 to $34,000, an increase of over 20%.
Luther regional admissions counselor Katie Moon said in the press release that she believes merit scholarships are an important factor in recruiting students to come to Luther who may be worried about the college’s affordability.
“Overall, we’re always seeking to make Luther accessible and affordable for students. We take information and adapt to what students need,” Moon said. “When students are accepted to Luther, the very first scholarship they receive is the merit scholarship because we want them to know from the beginning Luther is an affordable option.”
Current student Jake Althaus (‘27) says that the award increases in merit scholarships will help Luther recruit more students to attend. While there’s no word yet on if current students will also receive the larger scholarship totals, Althaus says that as a prospective student, the increase in financial aid would’ve made Luther an appealing option.
“[As a prospective student] I was very on the ropes looking at [Luther’s tuition] in general,” Althaus said. “Looking at the [current] tuition price I’m still on the ropes about it. But, if I could’ve gotten more money based on my academics it would’ve made me work even harder and it would have made me more likely to go here.”
The other major change to the scholarship system is the addition of a new scholarship for first-generation students. This scholarship is only available to prospective students whose parents do not hold a bachelor’s degree. The new scholarship is valued at $2,000 per year.
Vice President for Enrollment Management Karen Hunt said that the new scholarship for first-generation students sought to address concerns about accessibility to college education, especially in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard.
“While [the SFFA vs. Harvard decision] did not change any policies or practices at Luther, it did raise questions and concerns around the topic of accessibility,” Hunt said. “Luther is committed to accessibility for all qualified students. We identified the group of students who typically have the highest level of financial concerns [and] decided to offer [them] additional aid.”
According to the press release, 100% of Luther students receive financial assistance in some capacity, including first-generation students. While he is not the first in his family to attend college, Juan Hernandez Herrera (‘27) believes that with the addition of a scholarship specifically for these students, Luther is showing their commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“I think it will have a positive impact on Luther because it can help members of all families to attend [Luther],” Hernandez Herrera said. “The person that might be a first-generation student maybe doesn’t have the economic ability [to] attend college. So, people from all around the world will try to get the scholarship.”
Updated information on Luther’s scholarship offerings, including a list of all scholarships offered, can be found at luther.edu/admission-aid/cost-financial-aid/scholarships.
