Unlocking Opportunity: A Comprehensive Guide to the Drexel Liberty Scholars Program

The Drexel Liberty Scholars program stands as a beacon of opportunity, providing full-tuition scholarships to deserving students. This article delves into the intricacies of the program, outlining eligibility requirements, application procedures, and the comprehensive support system it offers. It's designed to guide prospective students through the process and highlight the transformative potential of this scholarship.

Introduction to the Liberty Scholars Program

The Liberty Scholars program at Drexel University is a highly competitive initiative designed to provide access to higher education for students with significant financial need. The program provides recent Philadelphia high school graduates with a renewable scholarship award that covers 100 percent of tuition and general University fees. Beyond financial assistance, the program fosters student success through holistic support, programming, and active engagement with campus life. The Liberty Scholars Program is modeled after Drexel’s Liberty Scholars Program, which began a decade ago, and provides full scholarships to local high school graduates who may not otherwise have been able to afford college.

Eligibility and Requirements

Several factors determine eligibility for the Liberty Scholars program. Key considerations include:

Financial Need: The scholarship is primarily designed for students who demonstrate significant financial need. Applicants are required to submit their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and CSS Profile to assess their financial situation.
Residency: The scholarship is open to all new first-year applicants from Philadelphia in all majors as long as it is an on-campus, full-time, undergraduate program. Applicants must have an address for home or school in Philadelphia and be applying for general admission to Drexel University as first-year students with demonstrated financial need.
Academic Achievement: Drexel emphasizes both academic achievement and community service. The program seeks students who have exhibited strong academic performance throughout high school.
First-Generation College Students: The program prioritizes first-generation college students.
Graduation from a Philadelphia High School: Preference is given to those who graduated from a Philadelphia high school.

While the program primarily focuses on Philadelphia residents, Drexel also considers applications from out-of-state students, out-of-cultural students, or those who are academically exceptional.

Application Process

To be considered for the Liberty Scholars Program, applicants must follow a specific application process:

Read also: Liberty University Fees

Apply to Drexel by the Early Action Deadline: Ensure you apply to Drexel by the Early Action Deadline to be considered for the Liberty Scholars Program.
Complete the Drexel Liberty Scholarship Application: Applicants must submit a complete admission application by their admission plan deadline, as well as the Drexel Liberty Scholarship application and 500-word essay. The supplemental application can be found in Discover Drexel by selecting the Enrichment & Scholarship Applications tab.
Submit FAFSA and CSS Profile: The Liberty Scholars application, FAFSA, and CSS Profiles are due February 1.
Interview: Final candidates will be invited to participate in an interview.

What Makes a Strong Application?

Crafting a compelling application is crucial for standing out among other candidates. Here are some key elements to focus on:

Clear Narrative: Strive to present a clear and distinct narrative about your personal and academic journey.
Academic Achievements: Include your academic achievements.
Leadership Roles: Share any leadership roles you've had.
Community Service: Share your community service experiences. A history of community involvement or service, leadership roles, or other contributions that highlight your commitment to bettering your community can significantly strengthen your application.
Civic Engagement: Highlight how these experiences have shaped you as an individual and how they align with Drexel's focus on civic engagement.
Financial Need: Complete your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as soon as possible, and include Drexel in your FAFSA list, because your financial need is a significant factor in the scholarship decision-making process.

Benefits and Support System

The Liberty Scholars program extends beyond financial aid, providing a comprehensive support system to ensure students' success:

Full Tuition and Fees Coverage: As a Liberty Scholar, you will receive a scholarship that covers 100 percent of tuition and general University fees charged to you based upon the standard academic terms of your program.
Mentorship Program: As a Liberty Scholar, you will be assigned a mentor who is a current Drexel faculty or professional staff member. Your mentor is a resource and an active partner in your academic success. You will meet, at a minimum, quarterly to discuss your goals, experiences, and progress. The individual assigned to be your mentor will be chosen based on the information you submit on your Mentor Match Online Form. Although the mentor-mentee relationship is a partnership, it is your responsibility to take the lead and maintain contact with your mentor and to ensure you meet with them at least once a quarter. It is important that you keep an open mind about the benefits a mentor can have on your experience at Drexel. No matter who your mentor is, that individual is a volunteer committed to assisting you in any way possible to achieve your goals.
Living Learning Community: For the 2024-2025 academic year, you will be living in the Liberty Scholars Living Learning Community. Living alongside your fellow Liberty Scholars will give you the opportunity to bond as a group, share experiences, and develop stronger community ties.
Extracurricular Involvement: Involvement in the Drexel community is an important part of the Liberty Scholars program. There are many different activities, organizations, and opportunities for you to participate in that will benefit both you and the University. As a Liberty Scholar, you are required to participate in at least one extracurricular activity of your choice each year while you are enrolled at Drexel, but it is strongly encouraged that you go beyond this requirement.
Holistic Support: The program fosters students success through holistic support, programming, and active engagement with campus life.

Financial Aid and Potential Adjustments

Even with the full-tuition scholarship, understanding the financial aid process is essential:

Federal and State Aid: Federal financial aid offered to you can be used to pay for the costs not covered by the Liberty Scholarship. Pennsylvania residents may also be eligible to receive state financial aid (students from outside Pennsylvania will need to check with their state higher education organizations regarding eligibility and portability of state aid programs).
eBill Statements: Even though you will be receiving a full-tuition and fees scholarship, you will still receive monthly eBill statements and be required to check your student account on a regular basis to ensure that you do not have a balance due.
Refunds: If your quarterly financial aid is more than your quarterly bill, you may be eligible to receive the difference as a refund. You can use refunds to assist you in purchasing textbooks and paying for other school-related costs.
Financial Aid Package Limits: Please Note: A student's total financial aid package cannot exceed the University's cost of attendance. Awards that make-up a financial aid package include grants, scholarships, loans, work-study, and scholarships from private organizations. Drexel reserves the right to adjust financial aid awards and packages at any time to ensure compliance with all institutional, state, and federal regulations.
Outside Funding: Any outside funding received must be taken into account when eligibility is determined for need-based financial aid. If offered funding from a source outside the University, students must submit copies of the notification letter to Drexel Central. Outside funding may result in a change to the student's eligibility for the overall student aid package.

Maintaining the Scholarship

The Liberty Scholars program is a renewable scholarship, meaning it can be maintained throughout your undergraduate studies. However, certain requirements must be met:

Full-Time Status: Most scholarships are awarded when students begin full-time enrollment as a Drexel student. They are applied to all class terms as long as the student maintains full-time status.
GPA Requirement: Continue to achieve a 2.0 cumulative GPA each academic year (unless otherwise noted).

Drexel Promise Scholarship: An Additional Opportunity

In addition to the Liberty Scholars program, Drexel University also offers the Drexel Promise scholarship. Drexel University has announced that it’s expanding its unique Drexel Promise scholarship program and will offer 50% renewable scholarships for the cost of tuition to all admitted community college graduates, starting next fall. Begun in fall 2023, the Drexel Promise initially provided students who had earned an Associate’s degree at an accredited community college in either Pennsylvania or New Jersey with a renewable scholarship for half of tuition costs. Now, based on the initial success of the program, Drexel is going to open it up to community college student nationwide.

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The scholarship is renewable each year, provided the student maintains a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. Applications for the Fall 2024 term are open through August and will be reviewed a rolling basis, according to the university.

Other Scholarship Opportunities at Drexel

Drexel University provides various other scholarship opportunities for students:

Merit Scholarships: Drexel offers several different institutional merit scholarships to incoming first-year and transfer students by the Admissions Committee based upon superior academic performance. Decisions regarding eligibility are made by the Admissions Committee.
Westphal Portfolio Scholarship: The Westphal Portfolio Scholarship is awarded to incoming first-year and transfer students based on outstanding creative work in the art portfolio they submitted for review with their admissions application.
Alumni Endorsement Scholarship: Offered to first-year or transfer students who receive an endorsement from a Drexel University alum, this scholarship is an opportunity to join the legacy of Drexel alumni making an impact in the world. This award of $500 a term is applicable toward tuition.
Athletic Scholarships: Drexel University provides scholarships for students participating in official University athletic programs.
Performing Arts Scholarships: Students participating in a performing art at Drexel may be eligible for a tuition-only award of up to $2,000. In order to receive this award, students must audition for a Drexel ensemble.
ROTC Scholarships: Army ROTC (hosted at Drexel) offers tuition and fees scholarship opportunities to Cadets. Navy ROTC (hosted at University of Pennsylvania, but available to Drexel students) offers scholarship opportunities.
Tuition Exchange Program (TEP): The Tuition Exchange Program (TEP) partners Drexel with other colleges and universities to offer scholarships.
Outside Scholarships: Because they are private and therefore not administered by Drexel, it is up to students to research and apply for them on their own. The best place to start researching is with any organization that the students or a family member has an affiliation with (such as a students or parents' employer, church, or religious organization).

Resources for Finding Scholarships

Scholly App: Created by Drexel University students, Scholly is a mobile app for Apple and Android mobile devices that gives students a fast and simple way to find scholarships for college. Scholly streamlines the scholarship search process by using eight parameters such as grade, state, and GPA to instantly match students with scholarships they may qualify for.

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