In an attempt to increase enrollment numbers, Misericordia University will offer a $5,000 scholarship to transfer students and graduate students starting in January 2022. The hope is to give new students more of an incentive to continue their education at Misericordia.

“The goal of this special offering is to bring the value of a Misericordia University education to more students and grow the ranks of our Misericordia student population,” said James Roberts, Chief of Staff at Misericordia. “Often these students have to surrender their financial aid at their current college to come here.”

An offer like this one is designated for a specific group of students not currently attending Misericordia as a hope to make them consider this school more than others.

“This is a one-time, one-semester discount to help encourage new students who may have delayed enrolling full-time, who are looking to transfer to Misericordia from another college, or those who are hoping to take part-time classes to advance their careers,” said Roberts.

According to Roberts, the staff and administration at Misericordia are thankful for students currently enrolled and says, despite the challenges of COVID, there is still a dedicated student body that supports the university.

“The university is privileged to have so many dedicated students already enrolled on campus,” he said.

The university is committed to showing its appreciation to students in any way it cam.

“There was no tuition increase last year to help ease the burden on all the students currently enrolled,” Roberts added. “Financial aid is awarded to students at the time they enroll, and the university uses factors such as financial need and academic achievement to award aid in combination with aid that might come from the government or other sources. The university is as generous as possible at the time students enroll.

“We understand the investment that students and families are making in attending a private university,” Roberts added. “For that investment, Misericordia delivers programs that retain students a high level and tend to help students to graduate ‘on time’ and avoid extra semesters of study that might add additional costs if a student were to attend a much larger institution.”

One of the smaller institutions in the area, Misericordia offers smaller class sizes.

“The staff, administration, and faculty all are very committed to preparing students to be successful in their careers through challenging academics and a supportive campus environment,” said Roberts.

The administration does not want a student interested in attending Misericordia to decide to go elsewhere because he or she cannot afford the tuition. These financial support options are offered for those struggling with expenses.

“If a student is struggling with finances and it is impacting their ability to attend, please reach out to Student Financial Services or the financial aid office for consultation to see how they can help,” said Roberts.

For students in high financial need, there are opportunities to help them significantly with staying at Misericordia and continuing their education.

“For those students with high financial need, there will be an opportunity to apply for modest grants from the HEERF funds (federal government) currently available,” Roberts added.

The amount of available funds is limited. Students should watch for an email or other announcement from Student Financial Accounts before the end of the semester as the specifics of the process are still being set at this time. Grants will be awarded to students who demonstrate extreme financial need based on their individual cost to attend Misericordia, information from their FAFSA and other related factors.