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Making Education Affordable

LM provides various discounts, merit scholarships for new students (grades 6-12) and need-based financial aid to make an LM education affordable for as many families as possible. 35% of LM students receive some financial aid. LM strives to create a comprehensive financial aid package for each family that applies. This page provides information about WHO QUALIFIES FOR AID, APPLYING FOR AID, PRE-K COUNTS and more.

What will my financial aid package be comprised of?

LM offers a financial aid package: tuition assistance, multiple child discounts and scholarships. The different components of a financial aid package are as follows:

  • Tuition Assistance – Full-Time students at any campus and at any grade level who qualify for financial aid after submitting an application to Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST).
  • Multiple Child Discount – Discounts are given for additional Full-Time children enrolled at Lancaster Mennonite School.
  • Merit Scholarships are awarded to a select few new students in grades 6-12 who apply based on excellent academic potential and good citizenship. Learn more.
  • Work Aid – Students in grades 9-12 who need additional aid can arrange to work for the school during one period of the eight periods in the school day.
  • Partner Church Scholarships – Starting in the 2023-24 school year, churches are eligible to donate $500 or more per student from their congregation under the Church Partnership program. LM will now match any participating congregation’s scholarship contribution up to $1,000 per student.

Who qualifies for scholarships?

Financial aid funds are distributed based on many factors such as income, family size and expenses. Because Lancaster Mennonite considers many factors in determining financial aid, we require a professional, confidential online financial assessment of all applicants by FAST (Financial Aid for School Tuition), an outside agency.

Financial aid requests usually exceed the amount of available funding. Therefore, please note that in order for all qualified students to receive financial aid, you may not receive the full amount for which your student is eligible.

Lancaster Mennonite School participates with the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit program. These programs (monitored by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) are funded by area businesses that make contributions on behalf of our school to nonprofit organizations.

How to apply

The Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST) program provides a need-based financial aid analysis service that includes a recommendation of what a family should reasonably contribute toward tuition. All information from FAST is kept confidential. Upon approval by the school, financial aid offers are then sent to families. You must reapply each year. (See Financial Assistance Policy.)

  • The online application process is self-guided. You can partially complete an application and go back to it at another time. If you have questions, FAST provides online e-mail and a 24/7 help line in Spanish and English: 1-877-326-FAST
  • All your financial information should be entered directly through the secure server. See information you need to complete the application for financial aid.
  • The charge for the application is $53. This non-refundable fee must be paid by credit card when you finish and submit your application. If you do not have a credit card, please call Lancaster Mennonite School (717-740-2431) for assistance.
  • Copies of your tax forms are needed in order to comply with state regulations. Students must be listed on your tax forms as dependents. After completing the online application, you will be required to submit your signed tax returns for both state and federal taxes with the required schedules and W-2 forms.
  • Apply as soon as possible; the amount of aid is limited.

NOTE: The applications for financial aid and scholarships are NOT applications for admission. You must complete a separate Application for Admission for new students.

Pre-K Counts (separate from Financial Aid Package)

Lancaster Mennonite School offers Pre-K Counts (need-based) full scholarships, dependent on state funding. This grant is funded by the state as an initiative to have as many students as possible receive the opportunity to attend a quality Pre-K program. LM’s program serves students in East Lampeter Township at our Lancaster campus.

The qualifications to be considered for the Pre-K Counts grant include:

  • Family income must be at or below 300% of poverty level (See chart below.)
  • The student must be 4 years old on or before September 1, 2020.
  • The student must attend school full time (5 days a week).
  • Additional considerations include risk factors such as English Language Learner, incarcerated parent, homelessness, teen mother, etc.

If you meet at least the first three qualifications listed above, you are invited to submit a Pre-K Counts Enrollment Form and submit your 2021 Federal Tax Return to Lorri Hengst in the Business Office at Lancaster Mennonite School, 2176 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602. Application does not guarantee acceptance for Pre-K Counts since there are limited slots.

Families who are not granted a Pre-K Counts Grant are invited to apply for financial aid.

2022 Federal Poverty Level Guidelines (300% of Poverty Level)

Family Size Annual
1 $40,770
2 $54,930
3 $69,090
4 $83,250
5 $97,410
6 $111,570
7 $125,730
8 $139,890

Lancaster Mennonite School admits students of any gender, race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally made available to all students at the school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs and athletic or other school-administered programs.