Lehigh doesn’t publish a “this GPA plus this score gets this much money” chart. The same committee that admits your student also decides merit, and it reads the whole file: grades, rigor, essays, recommendations, and what your student does outside of class. About 26% of students admitted for 2025-26 received a merit award of $15,000 or more per year. If your student is one of them, you’ll see it in the admission letter.
Lehigh also leans heavily on Early Decision. In the most recent cycle, Lehigh admitted 966 of 2,040 Early Decision applicants (about 47%), compared with about 29% overall. Lehigh says ED I and ED II applicants are considered for merit the same way, so waiting for ED II doesn’t cost your student a shot at money. ED is binding, though, so run the Net Price Calculator before you commit.
🏆 Full tuition possible (Founder's, Soaring Together, College of Health Scholars)
Average Net Price
$34,154/year
Average paid.
Automatic Merit
$15,000/yr up to full tuition (holistic)
No separate application.
Scholarships Tracked
11 opportunities
4 automatic · 2 competitive · 5 hidden gem
Merit Evaluation
Holistic Review / Varies
Merit depends on profile rigor.
Testing Policy
Test-optional
Superscores ACT/SAT.
Key Deadlines
Priority: Jan 1 • FAFSA: Jan 15
Full-Tuition / Full-Ride
Founder's & Trustees' Scholarships & Soaring Together Scholarship Program
Financial Aid Forms
FAFSA & CSS Profile
🚨 Easy-to-Miss “Gotchas” at Lehigh University (Read This First)
Merit and need-based aid don’t simply add up. If your family qualifies for need-based aid, Lehigh fills the gap only up to your calculated need. Merit usually replaces some of your Lehigh Grant rather than landing on top of it. Merit makes the biggest difference for families who don’t qualify for need-based aid.
Under $75,000 in family income? Tuition is $0. The Lehigh Commitment covers full tuition for families earning under $75,000 with typical assets, but only if you file the CSS Profile and FAFSA by the deadline. It covers tuition, not housing and meals, and if your student also has merit, it tops the merit up to full tuition instead of adding to it.
There’s no Early Action, and January 1 is the real merit deadline. Lehigh’s biggest awards come straight from the admission application, so the application deadline (Nov 1 for ED I, Jan 1 for ED II and Regular Decision) is your merit deadline. Aid forms are due Nov 1 for ED I and Jan 15 for everyone else.
The full-tuition competitions need a second application. Soaring Together and the College of Health Scholars Program are both due February 1, separate from the Lehigh application. Music and choral scholarships are due around January 10, and theatre around February 10.
The CSS Profile is required for need-based aid. It’s free for families earning under $100,000. Lehigh doesn’t use IDOC, so parent tax returns get uploaded straight to Lehigh, and divorced or separated parents each file their own CSS Profile.
Test-optional really means optional. Only about a third of Lehigh’s most recent first-year class submitted SAT scores. Lehigh superscores if you do send them.
FAQ
Is this college test-optional? Yes, for admission. Lehigh University is test-optional for admission.
What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: 31-34; SAT: 1380-1480.
Average net price? About $34,154/year after aid.
Does this school use waivers/reciprocity?
No. It is a private school, so everyone pays the same rate.
💰 Cost of Attendance at Lehigh University: 2026–2027 Rates
Figures verified against official sources in October 2026.
📅 Planning for 2027–2028? These are the 2026–2027 rates, the newest Lehigh University has published. Colleges usually release next year's costs in the spring, and we update this page when they do.
Budgeting tip: costs typically rise 2% to 5% a year. For 2027–2028, plan on roughly $1,800 to $4,500 more than the total below.
✔ Same price for every student, no matter which state you live in.
All students: billed cost per year
$89,820
Tuition, fees, housing, and meals for two semesters
Tuition & mandatory fees
$70,590
Housing & meals (typical)
$19,230
Total billed cost
$89,820
Average federal net price: $34,154 per year.
This is what first-time, full-time students who received grant aid paid after grants and scholarships, based on the most recent federal data. It counts books and living costs, so it can run higher than the billed total above. Families who got no grants are not in this average, so many middle-income families pay more. New to Net Price & SAI? Read our guide.
📌 Regional Tuition & Waiver Options
Lehigh is a private university that charges a single tuition rate for all undergraduates regardless of residency; no state-based reciprocity or nonresident waivers are listed, and tuition and required fees are published separately with housing and meals as distinct COA components.
💚 The Lehigh Commitment: $0 Tuition Under $75,000
If your family’s total income is under $75,000 and you have typical assets (Lehigh defines that as under $500,000 in family assets and $10,000 in student assets), Lehigh covers full tuition with grants, scholarships, or waivers. You don’t apply for it separately. You just file the CSS Profile and FAFSA on time, every year. It covers tuition only, so housing and meals still come through regular need-based aid. It’s open to current and incoming students, and international students may qualify too.
Read Lehigh’s Commitment details.
FAQ: Cost of Attendance at Lehigh University
What does a year at Lehigh cost before aid?
For 2026-27, Lehigh lists $89,820 in direct costs: $69,420 tuition, $1,170 in required fees, $11,470 for typical first-year housing, and $7,760 for the full meal plan. For aid purposes Lehigh adds $1,000 for books and $1,500 for personal expenses, so the full budget is about $92,320. Students in engineering and science, arts and sciences, or health programs pay an extra $910 program fee.
Is it cheaper for Pennsylvania residents?
No. Lehigh is private, so every undergraduate pays the same tuition no matter where they live. There’s no in-state rate and no regional tuition exchange to tap into.
Why is the average net price around $34,000 when the sticker price is about $90,000?
The average net price only counts students who received grants or scholarships, and Lehigh gives out a lot of need-based money. In 2025-26, first-years who qualified for need-based aid averaged about $57,846 in need-based grants and scholarships, and Lehigh met about 97% of their need on average. Families who don’t qualify for need-based aid and don’t win merit pay much closer to the full price.
Does Lehigh meet full financial need?
For most aided students, nearly. In its most recent Common Data Set, Lehigh fully met need for 431 of the 687 first-years it found to have need, and met 97% of need on average. Run the Net Price Calculator to see where your family lands.
What forms do we need, and when are they due?
The FAFSA (school code 003289) and the CSS Profile (school code 2365) are both needed for Lehigh’s own grants. Both are due November 1 for Early Decision I and January 15 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision. The CSS Profile fee is waived for families earning under $100,000, and parent tax returns go directly to Lehigh’s financial aid upload center.
Will tuition go up after freshman year?
Almost certainly, as at most private universities. Founder’s and Trustees’ Scholarships are defined as full and half tuition. The Dean’s Scholarship is listed as a dollar range ($15,000 to $25,000), so as tuition climbs, it covers a smaller share each year. Plan your four-year budget with that in mind.
November 1: Early Decision I. The application is your merit application, and the CSS Profile and FAFSA are due the same day.
January 1: Early Decision II and Regular Decision. This is the last day to land in the merit pool. Theatre scholarship applicants must have the Lehigh application in by now too.
Around January 10: Music, choral, and Marching 97 scholarship applications.
January 15: CSS Profile and FAFSA for ED II and Regular Decision.
February 1: Soaring Together and College of Health Scholars applications.
Around February 10: Theatre scholarship materials.
Late March: Regular Decision results, merit awards, and Soaring Together results (including for ED admits).
Parent rule of thumb: at Lehigh, the admission deadline is the merit deadline. Treat it that way.
Automatic Merit Scholarships: Lehigh University
At Lehigh, “automatic” means no extra form, not guaranteed by the numbers. Every admitted full-time student is reviewed for Dean’s, Trustees’, and Founder’s Scholarships during the admission read, and the committee decides holistically. There are no published GPA or test score cutoffs, so you won’t know until the admission letter arrives.
Find your student's tier
Enter the numbers you have. We'll highlight the automatic award your student would actually get and tuck the rest out of the way. Leave it blank to browse everything.
Residency
Based on published cutoffs for entering freshmen. Always verify with the college before finalizing plans.
Start with your state. The awards in this first group come from the state, not the college. They are decided by residency and the FAFSA, and they stack on top of whatever automatic merit award the college gives below. If you live out of state, use the toggle above and these will step aside.
State AidAutomaticstate residencyneed based
Pennsylvania State Grant
📅 Deadline: FAFSA and State Grant Form by May 1 ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$6,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Pennsylvania resident with financial need; FAFSA plus the PA State Grant Form by May 1 for four-year schools; no GPA or test score; amount from PHEAA's need formula, 2026-27 maximum $6,000
✚
Stacking & Combining
Pennsylvania's main need grant, up to $6,000 a year in 2026-27 for the lowest-income families, less as income rises. Stacks with Pell and with every college award. Part-time enrollment cuts the award. Renew with a FAFSA by May 1 every year.
💡
Strategic Detail
State program, not a Lehigh University award. Rules and amounts are set by the state and can change with each budget. Full details on the CollegeReadyParent PA page.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Need-based students who got both the FAFSA and the separate State Grant Form in by May 1. The second form is the miss: it is a PHEAA document, not a FAFSA step, and first-time applicants who skip it get nothing even with a perfect FAFSA.
State AidApp Requiredstate residencyservice
Grow PA Scholarship Grant
📅 Deadline: PHEAA application; 2026-27 window ran to Jan 7, 2027; next window not announced ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$5,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Pennsylvania resident, at least half time in one of 460-plus eligible in-demand programs, no bachelor's degree yet; no income test; separate PHEAA application; signs a promissory note
✚
Stacking & Combining
Up to $5,000 a year for up to four years in an in-demand major, with a string attached: finish the degree and work in Pennsylvania in an in-demand field for as many years as you received the grant, or it converts to a loan. Stacks with the State Grant and college aid. First-come by application date.
💡
Strategic Detail
State program, not a Lehigh University award. Rules and amounts are set by the state and can change with each budget. Full details on the CollegeReadyParent PA page.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students in nursing, education, engineering, trades, and the other listed fields who are sure they will stay in Pennsylvania after graduation. For anyone who might move, this is a loan with a nice name; the conversion is automatic and comes with interest.
State AidApp Requiredstate residencyneed based
Ready to Succeed Scholarship
📅 Deadline: No separate application; FAFSA and State Grant Form early ✓ Renews (2.5 GPA, 3 yrs)
$500–$2,500/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.5+ GPAPennsylvania resident; 2.5 cumulative GPA and 24 completed credits, so it starts sophomore year; family income under the state cap (PHEAA lists $200,000; some college pages still show $175,000); nominated by participating colleges from the FAFSA and State Grant Form, in order of completion date
✚
Stacking & Combining
A merit-plus-need award that kicks in after freshman year: with the PA State Grant it tops out at $2,500 a year full time, $1,250 part time, minimum $500. For middle-income families above the State Grant range this is often the only state money. Stacks with college aid. First-come by FAFSA date.
💡
Strategic Detail
State program, not a Lehigh University award. Rules and amounts are set by the state and can change with each budget. Full details on the CollegeReadyParent PA page.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Sophomores and up with a 2.5 whose families earn too much for the State Grant but under the cap, and who filed early. It is nominated by the college, not applied for, so the families who never hear about it are the ones who assumed state aid was only for low income.
One award, not a pile. Colleges apply your student's single best automatic award. Automatic scholarships almost never stack with each other, though some stack with housing, departmental, or outside money. The stacking notes on each card tell you which.
Full TuitionAutomatic
Founder's & Trustees' Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Lehigh admission deadline (Nov 1 ED I; Jan 1 ED II and RD) · 📢 Results: Included with the admission decision and financial aid package ✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
Full Tuition
tuition
✔ Stackable
⚠ Top applicants are considered automatically for Founder's (full tuition) and Trustees' (half tuition) during the admission read.
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Merit counts as part of your total aid package. If your family shows financial need, Lehigh's need-based grant fills the gap only up to your calculated need, so merit mostly replaces Lehigh Grant dollars instead of adding on top. Families with no demonstrated need keep the full award as a straight tuition discount.
💡
Strategic Detail
Founder's Scholarships cover full Lehigh tuition and Trustees' Scholarships cover half tuition. Both go to students in the top tier of the applicant pool, chosen by the Committee on Admissions during the regular admission read. There is no separate application and no published GPA or test cutoff. Renewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters (10 for approved five-year programs) with a 3.0 cumulative GPA and full-time enrollment.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
The very top slice of the admitted class, students with elite academic records, standout intellectual curiosity, and leadership that stands out even in a strong applicant pool.
Automatic
Dean's Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Lehigh admission deadline (Nov 1 ED I; Jan 1 ED II and RD) · 📢 Results: Included with the admission decision and financial aid package ✓ Renews (3 GPA, 4 yrs)
$15,000–$25,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Merit counts as part of your total aid package. If your family shows financial need, Lehigh's need-based grant fills the gap only up to your calculated need, so merit mostly replaces Lehigh Grant dollars instead of adding on top. Families with no demonstrated need keep the full award as a straight tuition discount.
💡
Strategic Detail
Dean's Scholarships range from $15,000 to $25,000 per year and go to admitted students who excel academically and show leadership. Every admitted full-time student is considered; there is no separate application and no published GPA or test cutoff. Renewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters (10 for approved five-year programs) with a 3.0 cumulative GPA and full-time enrollment.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted first-year students at the strong-to-top end of the applicant pool who show consistent academic performance and meaningful leadership or involvement outside the classroom.
Automaticnational merit
Lehigh Merit / National Merit Scholarship
📅 Deadline: Lehigh admission deadline, plus first-choice designation with NMSC · 📢 Results: Coordinated between NMSC and Lehigh financial aid after enrollment ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
$1,000–$2,000/yr
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
Paid alongside Lehigh's other merit awards. Like all gift aid, it counts toward your package if your family has need.
💡
Strategic Detail
Lehigh is a collegiate sponsor of the National Merit Scholarship Program. Lehigh's admissions page lists an award of $1,000 or $2,000 per year for National Merit Finalists, while the 2026-27 catalog lists $2,000 per year for Finalists who name Lehigh as their first-choice college and are not receiving another National Merit scholarship. No separate Lehigh application.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: National Merit Finalists who enroll at Lehigh and formally list Lehigh as their first-choice college with NMSC.
Automatic⚠ Transfer Onlytransfer
Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship
📅 Deadline: April 1 (fall transfer); November 1 (spring transfer) · 📢 Results: Included with the transfer admission decision and financial aid package ✓ Renews (2.8 GPA, 4 yrs)
$10,000/yr
✔ Stackable
⚠ Admitted transfer students who are Phi Theta Kappa members receive $10,000 per year in automatic merit aid, renewable with a 2.8 GPA.
🎓 Transfer
✚
Stacking & Combining
Lehigh awards this $10,000 above and beyond any need-based aid the student receives.
💡
Strategic Detail
Automatic $10,000 per year merit award for admitted transfer students who are Phi Theta Kappa members. To renew, your student maintains a minimum cumulative 2.8 GPA and stays enrolled full-time. Renewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters (10 for approved 5-year programs).
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Admitted transfer students who are members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, typically with strong community college academics and demonstrated involvement.
Data last verified Oct 4, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
Note: All of Lehigh’s merit awards renew for up to eight semesters (ten for approved five-year programs) as long as your student stays full-time and meets the GPA listed on the award. If your family also qualifies for need-based aid, merit counts toward your total package rather than sitting on top of it.
Automatic Merit FAQs (Lehigh University)
Is there a GPA or SAT score that guarantees a Dean’s or Founder’s Scholarship?
No. Lehigh picks merit winners holistically, looking at rigor, essays, recommendations, and leadership along with grades. The Dean’s Scholarship ($15,000 to $25,000 per year) goes to students who excel academically and show leadership. Founder’s (full tuition) and Trustees’ (half tuition) go to the top tier of the applicant pool.
How many students actually get merit?
About 26% of students admitted for 2025-26 received $15,000 or more per year. In Lehigh’s most recent Common Data Set, 177 first-years who didn’t qualify for need-based aid received Lehigh merit money, averaging about $21,666.
Do we have to submit test scores to be considered?
No. Lehigh is test-optional indefinitely, and merit review uses the same holistic read as admission. Send scores only if they strengthen the application. If you do, Lehigh superscores both the SAT and ACT.
What does it take to keep the scholarship?
For Dean’s, Trustees’, and Founder’s: a 3.0 cumulative GPA and full-time enrollment, renewable for eight consecutive semesters (ten for approved five-year programs).
Does Lehigh give money to National Merit Finalists?
Yes, but it’s modest. Lehigh is a collegiate sponsor, and Finalists who list Lehigh as their first-choice college receive $1,000 to $2,000 per year. Lehigh’s admissions page and its catalog list slightly different amounts, so confirm with the financial aid office.
Is there automatic merit for transfer students?
Yes, for Phi Theta Kappa members. Admitted transfers in the honor society receive $10,000 per year on top of any need-based aid, renewable with a 2.8 GPA.
Does merit stack with need-based aid?
Partly. Lehigh’s need-based grants fill your gap only up to your calculated need, so for families with need, merit usually replaces part of the Lehigh Grant. For families with no need, merit is a straight discount off tuition.
Lehigh has two full-tuition scholarships your student has to apply for separately, both due February 1. Soaring Together is open to any first-year applicant who’s done real work on gender equity. The College of Health Scholars Program is only for students entering Lehigh’s College of Health, and it picks just 4 or 5 students a year. Neither one covers housing and meals.
✅ Can You Stack Scholarships at Lehigh?
Aid Type
Stacks?
Lehigh Parent Translation
Dean’s / Trustees’ / Founder’s
With need aid, up to need
If you have need, merit replaces part of your Lehigh Grant. If you don’t, it’s a straight tuition discount.
Soaring Together / COHS
Tuition is the ceiling
Both already cover full tuition, so a smaller merit award has nowhere to land. Ask admissions how they’d combine if your student wins more than one.
Lehigh Commitment (under $75K)
Tops up
If your student has merit, the Commitment grant covers the difference between merit and full tuition.
Music / Theatre Awards
Yes, within need
These sit alongside academic merit. If you’re offered more than one music award, you pick one.
Outside Scholarships
Often reduce Lehigh Grant
An outside award may lower your Lehigh Grant dollar for dollar. Report it and ask how it will be applied.
Here’s the honest picture: Lehigh’s biggest merit money (Founder’s at full tuition) comes from the admission read, not an essay contest. These two competitive programs are extra shots on goal for students with a specific story to tell, and they come with mentoring and experience funding that regular merit doesn’t.
Full TuitionApp Required
Soaring Together Scholarship Program
📅 Deadline: February 1 · 📢 Results: Late March, alongside Regular Decision admission decisions ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Full Tuition
tuition
✔ Stackable
⚠ A small cohort of admitted first-year students who advance gender equity receive four-year full-tuition scholarships plus mentoring and experiential opportunities.
👥 ~Approximately 50 Soaring Together Scholars across all class years winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Covers full tuition. Housing and meals are not covered; need-based aid can help with those if your family qualifies. If your student also earns a Dean's or Trustees' award, ask admissions how the two combine, since tuition can only be covered once.
📄
How to Apply
Apply to Lehigh (Early Decision or Regular Decision), then submit the separate Soaring Together application by February 1. Answer the gender-equity prompt in any format: an essay of 500 words or fewer, a video under 5 minutes, slides, a personal website or social account, or another format that shows your thinking and your actions. Early Decision applicants are notified in late March with everyone else.
✎ Essays
💡
Strategic Detail
Launched to celebrate 50 years of coeducation at Lehigh. Provides a full-tuition merit scholarship plus experiential learning opportunities, alumni mentoring, and career development programming. Lehigh expects about 50 Soaring Together Scholars across all class years at a time. Any first-year applicant may apply regardless of gender; the response must show interest in and commitment to advancing gender equity. Lehigh's program page still lists last cycle's February 1, 2026 date, so confirm the 2027 date with admissions.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
A small group of strong admitted students who can point to real action on gender equity, such as advocacy, service, research, or leadership, not just interest in the topic.
Full TuitionApp Requiredmajor
College of Health Scholars Program
📅 Deadline: January 1 · 📢 Results: Coordinated with Regular Decision admission decisions ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Full Tuition
tuition plus experiential learning fund
✔ Stackable
⚠ Available to incoming first-year students entering Lehigh's College of Health with demonstrated leadership and interest in improving human health.
👥 ~4 to 5 scholars per incoming class winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Covers full tuition, plus a $5,000 fund for internships, research, or study abroad. Housing and meals are not covered; need-based aid can help with those if your family qualifies.
📄
How to Apply
Apply to Lehigh with the College of Health as your student's intended college by January 1, then submit the separate College of Health Scholars Program application by February 1. The COHS application asks students to demonstrate leadership, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to improving human health.
✎ Essays🎤 Interview🌟 Finalist Event
💡
Strategic Detail
Full-tuition, four-year scholarship plus a $5,000 experiential learning fund for students entering Lehigh's College of Health. Scholars join a cohort-based leadership pathway with mentoring, health innovation workshops, and career trips to New York City, Philadelphia, and the Lehigh Valley. Only 4 to 5 scholars are chosen per incoming class. Finalists are invited to campus in March for interviews and a class visit.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Top admitted College of Health applicants who show leadership, curiosity, and a real track record of working to improve human health through research, community work, or lived experience.
Data last verified Oct 4, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
❓ Flagship / Competitive Scholarship FAQs
When are the competitive scholarship deadlines?
Both the Soaring Together and College of Health Scholars applications are due February 1. The Lehigh application itself has to be in by January 1 (or November 1 for ED I). Lehigh’s Soaring Together page still shows last year’s date, so double-check before you submit.
Is Soaring Together only for young women?
No. Any first-year applicant can apply. The program celebrates 50 years of coeducation at Lehigh, and the application asks what your student has actually done to advance gender equity. Interest alone isn’t enough.
Does Soaring Together have to be an essay?
No, and that’s one of the coolest parts. Your student can write 500 words or fewer, record a video under 5 minutes, build slides, share a personal website or social account, or use another format that shows their thinking and actions.
How competitive is the College of Health Scholars Program?
Very. Lehigh picks only 4 or 5 students per incoming class. Your student must apply to Lehigh with the College of Health as their intended college, then submit the separate COHS application. Finalists are invited to campus in March for interviews and a class visit.
What does COHS include besides tuition?
A $5,000 experiential learning fund for internships, research, or study abroad, plus a four-year leadership pathway with mentors and career trips to New York, Philadelphia, and the Lehigh Valley.
If we apply Early Decision, when do we find out about Soaring Together?
In late March, alongside Regular Decision results, even if your student was admitted ED in December.
Is Lehigh a QuestBridge partner?
No. Lehigh isn’t on QuestBridge’s college partner list. For lower-income families, the Lehigh Commitment ($0 tuition under $75,000) is the program to know.
What should my student prepare?
A clear story backed by real action. Our Essay Toolkit and Brag Sheet Builder can help your student organize what they’ve done before writing.
🧠 Parent Strategy: Lehigh’s January “Talent Window”
Lehigh’s talent scholarships are open to any major, and a lot of families miss them because they land right after the January 1 application deadline. If your student plays an instrument, sings, marches, or does theatre, build this into your December plan.
Submit the Lehigh application by January 1 (theatre requires it).
Record a 5 to 7 minute performance video in December, before the holiday rush.
Ask the music or theatre teacher for a recommendation early. They email it directly.
Send the music or choral form by about January 10, and theatre materials by about February 10.
Parent translation: $3,000 to $5,000 a year plus free lessons, renewable for four years, for something your student already loves doing.
💎 Hidden Gem Scholarships
These awards aren’t part of the regular merit read. Each one needs either a separate application, a recruiting coach, or an ROTC commitment. They can sit alongside academic merit, though all gift aid counts toward your package if your family has need.
App Required
Army ROTC Scholarship + Lehigh Room & Board Award
📅 Deadline: ROTC process and scholarship timelines. ✓ Renews (2.5 GPA)
Varies
✔ Stackable
Holistic / Status Based
✚
Stacking & Combining
The Army covers tuition and fees; Lehigh's award covers room and board. Together they can cover most direct costs of attending.
📄
How to Apply
Apply for an Army ROTC scholarship through the Army and enroll in Lehigh's on-campus Army ROTC program. Lehigh's room and board award goes to selected cadets who contract to serve as Army officers after graduation.
Selection criteria: Selection through Army ROTC processes emphasizing leadership, military potential, and academic standing.
💡
Strategic Detail
The Army ROTC scholarship covers full tuition and mandatory fees at Lehigh, plus a $1,200 per year book allowance and a monthly stipend. On top of that, Lehigh may add a leadership award equal to the cost of room and board for cadets who commit to serve as Army officers. Lehigh calls these awards highly competitive, and they require a 2.5 GPA to renew.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Army ROTC scholarship cadets at Lehigh who commit to serve as officers and stand out for leadership.
Automatic
Athletic Scholarships
📅 Deadline: Sport-specific timelines coordinated by the coaching staff · 📢 Results: Communicated by the recruiting coach in tandem with the admissions and financial aid offices ✓ Renews (4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
⚠ Amounts and availability are coach-driven and vary by sport under NCAA rules.
👥 ~Varies by sport, subject to NCAA scholarship limits winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Athletic aid is packaged alongside any need-based aid, subject to NCAA limits on total aid. Ask the financial aid office to walk you through how the two combine.
💡
Strategic Detail
A limited number of athletic scholarships are offered across Lehigh's NCAA Division I programs. Amounts vary by sport and roster. In 2025-26, Lehigh reported 46 first-year students receiving athletic aid, averaging about $51,657 each (Common Data Set, estimated figures). There is no separate application beyond admission.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Recruited student-athletes who fit a Lehigh coach's roster plan, meet NCAA academic eligibility, and are admitted to the university. These are relationships that begin in high school through recruiting, not something a family can apply for cold.
App Required
Performing Arts Scholarships (Music)
📅 Deadline: January 10 ✓ Renews (2.8 GPA, 4 yrs)
$5,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.8+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with Lehigh academic merit. Like all gift aid, it counts toward your package if your family has need. If you are offered more than one music scholarship, Lehigh asks you to choose one.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the music department's instrumental scholarship form (one form covers both the Performing Arts and Snyder Marching scholarships), share a public YouTube or Vimeo link to a single 5 to 7 minute video with two contrasting pieces, and have your music teacher email a recommendation. Finalists may be invited to audition and interview.
Selection criteria: Selection based on musical ability, audition performance, and commitment to Lehigh instrumental ensembles.
💌 Letters of Rec🌟 Finalist Event
💡
Strategic Detail
$5,000 per year for incoming instrumental musicians in any major who perform in at least two ensembles (orchestra, jazz, wind ensemble, or chamber groups). Free lessons on your primary instrument are included. Renewable for up to eight semesters with ensemble participation, full-time enrollment, and a 2.8 GPA. Awards are based on merit and current ensemble needs. Last cycle the department extended its deadline to January 17, so confirm the current date.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Strong instrumentalists, from any major, who audition successfully and commit to active participation in required ensembles.
App Required
Cutler-Sametz Choral Arts Scholarships
📅 Deadline: January 10 ✓ Renews (2.8 GPA, 4 yrs)
$5,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.8+ GPA👥 ~Several merit scholarships available each year. winners/yr
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with Lehigh academic merit. Like all gift aid, it counts toward your package if your family has need. If you are offered more than one music scholarship, Lehigh asks you to choose one.
📄
How to Apply
Complete the Choral Arts scholarship form, share a public video link (5 to 7 minutes) of two contrasting classical selections in two different languages, solo voice with optional piano, and have your teacher email a recommendation. Finalists may be invited to audition and interview.
Selection criteria: Selection based on exceptional vocal talent and commitment to participation in Lehigh choral ensembles.
💌 Letters of Rec🌟 Finalist Event
💡
Strategic Detail
$5,000 per year for talented singers in any major. Recipients sing in University Choir and also take part in another choral ensemble (Choral Union, Glee Club, or Dolce). Free voice lessons are included. Renewable for up to eight semesters with a 2.8 GPA and full-time enrollment.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Talented incoming singers who successfully audition and participate in University Choir plus at least one additional choral ensemble.
App Required
Snyder Family Marching Scholarships
📅 Deadline: January 10 ✓ Renews (2.8 GPA, 4 yrs)
Varies
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.8+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with Lehigh academic merit. Like all gift aid, it counts toward your package if your family has need. If you are offered more than one music scholarship, Lehigh asks you to choose one.
📄
How to Apply
Use the same instrumental scholarship form as the Performing Arts Scholarship in Music (one form covers both), with the performance video and a teacher recommendation.
Selection criteria: Selection based on musical talent, leadership potential, and ensemble needs of The Marching 97.
💌 Letters of Rec🌟 Finalist Event
💡
Strategic Detail
Starts at $1,500 per year and increases each year for incoming instrumental musicians who march with The Marching 97 every fall. Free lessons on your primary instrument are included. Renewable for up to eight semesters with Marching 97 membership, full-time enrollment, and a 2.8 GPA.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Most winners: Incoming and continuing student instrumental musicians who commit to multiple years with The Marching 97 and maintain required GPA and participation.
App Required
Performing Arts Scholarships (Theatre)
📅 Deadline: February 10 ✓ Renews (2.8 GPA, 4 yrs)
$3,000/yr
✔ Stackable
🏫 2.8+ GPA
✚
Stacking & Combining
Stacks with Lehigh academic merit. Like all gift aid, it counts toward your package if your family has need.
📄
How to Apply
Apply to Lehigh by January 1 first. Then email a cover letter, a theatre resume, and one recommendation from a theatre teacher or director to the theatre department. Performers add a video of two contrasting memorized monologues (four minutes or less total); design and tech students add images or documentation of their work.
Selection criteria: Holistic review of theatre experience, application materials, recommendations, and anticipated contribution to the theatre program.
✎ Essays💌 Letters of Rec
💡
Strategic Detail
$3,000 per year for students in any major with strong theatre talent in performance, design, technical theatre, stage management, or playwriting. Renewable for four years with an active presence in the Department of Theatre and a 2.8 GPA. The department's page listed February 14 last cycle, so confirm the current date.
🕵
Who Actually Wins
Students who demonstrate strong theatre skills and commit to ongoing participation in Lehigh theatre productions.
Data last verified Oct 4, 2026.* GPA/test bands are estimates based on official selectivity and prior cohort profiles. "Who Actually Wins" insights are pulled from external peer-sourced data where students and parents have reported real-world award results. Because colleges can change funding thresholds and deadlines at any time, always verify these details with the institution before finalizing your application strategy.
❓ Hidden Gems FAQ
Does my student have to major in music or theatre?
No. The Performing Arts, Cutler-Sametz, Snyder Marching, and theatre scholarships are all open to students in any major. They just have to keep performing or stay active in the department.
Can my student win more than one music scholarship?
Lehigh’s music department says students offered more than one will be asked to choose. One instrumental form covers both the Performing Arts and Snyder Marching scholarships, while choral has its own form.
What’s included besides the money?
Free lessons. Instrumental winners get lessons on their primary instrument, and choral winners get free voice lessons. That’s real value on top of the $1,500 to $5,000 per year.
How do athletic scholarships work at Lehigh?
Through recruiting only. There’s no form to fill out, and coaches start the conversation. In 2025-26, Lehigh reported 46 first-years receiving athletic aid, averaging about $51,657 each.
What does Army ROTC look like at Lehigh?
Army ROTC runs right on campus. An Army ROTC scholarship covers full tuition and fees, a $1,200 book allowance, and a monthly stipend. Lehigh may add a room and board award for cadets who commit to serve as Army officers. Lehigh calls it highly competitive, and it needs a 2.5 GPA to renew.
What if we miss the January or February deadlines?
These are first-year scholarships tied to the admission cycle, so a missed deadline usually means a missed shot. The departments have extended deadlines in past years, but don’t count on it. Email the department before the date if your student is running behind.
Lehigh doesn’t have an Honors College, and there’s no separate honors scholarship pool. Instead, it has a few smaller, selective programs that work like honors tracks. None of them come with their own scholarship, so think of them as an academic upgrade, not a money source.
Eckardt Scholars Program: A highly selective honors program in the College of Arts and Sciences. Some first-year students are invited at admission, and others are nominated by faculty as sophomores. Scholars skip the usual distribution requirements, design a custom plan with their advisor, take two Eckardt seminars, and finish with a senior capstone. Current scholars can apply for Eckardt research and project grants.
IDEAS (Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts and Sciences): A four-year honors program that blends engineering with the arts and sciences into one bachelor’s degree.
IBE Honors (Integrated Business and Engineering): A combined business and engineering degree with extra math, science, and humanities requirements.
Honors Scholarships & Fellowships
This institution does not offer designated Honors College scholarships at this time.
Lehigh doesn’t offer scholarships tied to honors programs. Its big merit awards (Founder’s, Trustees’, and Dean’s) come from the regular admission review. See the Automatic Merit section above.
Where the Real Money Is for High Achievers
Founder’s Scholarship: Full tuition for the top tier of applicants, with no separate application.
Soaring Together: Full tuition, with a separate application due February 1.
College of Health Scholars: Full tuition plus $5,000, for College of Health students only.
Honors FAQs (Lehigh University)
Does Lehigh have an Honors College?
No. Lehigh offers the Eckardt Scholars Program in Arts and Sciences, plus integrated degree programs like IDEAS and IBE that it describes as honors programs.
How does my student get into Eckardt Scholars?
There’s no application from high school. Some first-years are invited by the admissions office, and the rest are nominated by faculty as sophomores and then interviewed by the program director.
Do honors programs come with a scholarship?
No. Lehigh’s honors-style programs are academic. Money comes through merit review, the competitive scholarships, and need-based aid.
Are IDEAS and IBE harder to get into?
Both are demanding programs that your student selects as part of the Lehigh application. Talk with an admissions counselor about fit before choosing one as your intended program.
Lehigh is a mid-sized private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with about 6,000 undergraduates and an 11 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio. It’s best known for engineering and business, and it’s one of the few places that really mixes the two. If your student can’t decide between building things and running things, Lehigh was practically built for that kid.
What Makes Lehigh Different: Integrated degrees across colleges. Lehigh offers four programs that blend two colleges into one degree: Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE), Computer Science and Business (CSB), Integrated Engineering, Arts and Sciences (IDEAS), and Integrated Business and Health (IBH). Most universities make students pick a lane. These programs let your student build a degree that crosses them.
Engineering (P.C. Rossin College): About one in five Lehigh degrees is in engineering, with hands-on labs and dual-degree options like Arts-Engineering.
Business: Business is Lehigh’s single largest degree area, accounting for roughly 28% of bachelor’s degrees.
Computer Science: Computer and information sciences make up about 11% of degrees, plus the joint CSB degree for students who want tech and business together.
College of Health: Lehigh’s newest college, with population health, health data science, and community and global health degrees, plus the full-tuition College of Health Scholars Program.
Career Outcomes: Lehigh reports a $77,000 average starting salary for the Class of 2025, 92% of graduates employed or in grad school within six months, and 88% completing at least one internship or experiential learning opportunity.
🔗 Official Lehigh University Links
Use Lehigh’s official university resources below to verify admissions details, scholarship policies,
costs, and academic programs. Always rely on these pages for final deadlines and award terms.
Big picture? Lehigh is a full-price private school that works hard not to charge full price. If your family earns under $75,000, tuition is free, period, as long as you file your aid forms on time. If you’re in the middle, Lehigh’s need-based aid does most of the heavy lifting, and merit tends to fill part of that gap rather than add on top. If you won’t qualify for need-based aid, merit is where Lehigh can really move the number, from $15,000 a year up to full tuition. But nobody gets it from a chart. The admission read decides it.
So the playbook is simple. Run the Net Price Calculator before you even think about Early Decision. Treat January 1 as your merit deadline. If your student has a talent or a real story around gender equity or health, use the January and February scholarship windows, because that’s where Lehigh’s extra money hides. For a student torn between engineering and business, few schools blend the two as naturally as Lehigh does.
Your kid did everything right. That does not mean the money follows.
Most families build a college list first and think about scholarships second, which is backwards. This free four-part series shows you where the money actually comes from, and how to build a list around it.
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Leo is the founder of CollegeReadyParent and a parent who worked through the college cost maze firsthand with his daughter. He writes these guides so families can see what a school really costs before they fall in love with it. More about Leo →
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