Students in Lebanon have their own calendar. At Lebanon American University, new undergraduate candidates in the spring of 2027 must apply for assistance no later than November 15, 2026. Admission remains open until 30 November. Behind these approaches, scholarships, loans and student jobs meet different rules.
For a family preparing for registration, obtaining a place and funding the studies are two distinct steps. An admission alone does not specify the amount to be paid. Assistance can reduce the bill, defer an expense or depend on work. These differences determine the expenses during the course and the commitments after the diploma.
The mechanisms of the Lebanese American University, or LAU, and the American University of Beirut, or AUB, make it possible to distinguish these mechanisms. They concern their students and their own procedures. They are not an automatic national programme open to all young people enrolled in Lebanon.
Student aid in Lebanon: two deadlines in LAU
The calendar published by LAU sets November 15 as the deadline for applications for new undergraduate students for the spring of 2027. The date of 30 November concerns their admission. Waiting for this second deadline to prepare for funding would therefore exceed the first.
For the fall of 2027, LAU announced another limit: April 30, 2027 for the help of new undergraduate students. Families must identify the semester and check the corresponding steps. A date of admission cannot replace that of financial assistance.
This separation also counts in the constitution of the file. The application for assistance relates to resources and needs, while admission examines access to the curriculum. Documents, decisions and conditions are not confused. Filing an application within the time limits allows its consideration; This is not an attribution.
In LAU, a loan may supplement aid already granted
LAU presents an optional loan for students already receiving financial assistance. It can cover up to 10% of tuition fees. The university does not charge any interest during registration. After a six-month deductible following graduation, the unpaid balance bears interest at a preferential rate fixed by the program.
The public presentation does not specify the quantified rate applicable after graduation or the duration of reimbursement. The term « preferential » therefore does not allow the calculation of a monthly payment. These parameters must be known prior to engagement.
The loan capital remains a debt. The absence of interest during studies reduces its cost at this stage, without turning the sum into a stock exchange. To compare two financings, a distinction must be made between the amount received, future interest and the timing of payments to be made.
The catalogue LAU 2026–2027 also mentions loans to Lebanese students in its medicine and pharmacy section. This clarification does not extend their conditions to all curricula or nationalities. The applicable programme and individual eligibility have yet to be verified with the university.
A scholarship reduces the bill without creating the same commitment
The LAU catalogue distinguishes aid based on financial needs and grants linked to results. It also provides for training and donor funding. The university states that its support depends on its budgetary capacity.
These categories meet different criteria. A financial difficulty does not automatically give access to a merit award. Conversely, a good school record does not exempt social assistance formalities. The amounts awarded must be distinguished from the amounts simply claimed.
At the AUB, the 2026–27 catalogue defines social assistance as a non-repayable allocation based on needs assessment. It normally concerns full-time students. Below 12 credits, a reasoned request is required. Transfer or second degree applicants cannot apply for this assistance.
The aid normally covers the duration of the course plus a semester, subject to academic conditions. Its renewal and that of the merit scholarships are governed by their own rules.
Student work provides a concrete counterpart
AUB provides for a student work programme for some recipients of social assistance who request a supplement. A recommendation may allow their participation. The scheme provides for at least 50 hours of work per month during the semester, against 10 per cent of tuition fees. The university deducts this sum from the invoice.
This mechanism pays for an activity. It does not create the debt of a loan and does not constitute a stock exchange without consideration. The student must integrate working time into his or her schedule, in addition to the courses and their preparation.
This covers education, not automatically housing, transport or other expenses.
Former BDL credits do not describe current offers
The Bank of Lebanon reported that it had not granted any subsidized loans in 2025. However, its annual report recalls the historical role of its credit incentives in education, housing and productive activities.
This balance sheet concerns the central bank’s action during this year. It does not make it possible to conclude that all student loans disappeared in 2026. Nor does it confirm the reopening of an old bank product. A file still accessible can describe old conditions.
Academic schemes must therefore be examined for what they actually propose. The LAU loan criteria do not apply to an AUB grant. Two percentages of support cannot be added without checking the cumulation rules.
Funding is specified in the individual decision
The decisive document remains the one which indicates the nature of the support, its amount and its conditions. For a loan, you need to know how to repay. For a scholarship, you have to check renewal and academic requirements. For a student job, account must be taken of the hours requested.
In LAU, the immediate deadline is for new undergraduate applicants in the spring of 2027: their application for assistance must meet the 15 November deadline. Their admission file follows a separate date on 30 November. The published schedule does not specify the closing time for the aid application.
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