Mount Union Meets Cost of Tuition and Fees for Qualified Students with Pell Opportunity Grant

ALLIANCE, Ohio, Sept. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Mount Union continues to address college affordability and make its education accessible to students of all backgrounds by establishing the Mount Union Pell Opportunity Grant. This grant will bridge the entire gap between tuition costs and what families of modest financial means can afford to pay toward a college degree. After qualified students have tapped funds from the Federal Pell Grant and loan programs, Mount Union Pell Opportunity Grants will cover remaining financial needs to fully pay for the University's tuition and technology fee. To receive these grants, students must meet academic and family need criteria.

"Our goal at the University is to extend educational opportunity to bright students from hardworking families," said Dick Merriman, president of the University. "At present, a quarter of our students come from families with incomes under $40,000. It's quite a challenge for them to attend Mount Union. We want to make sure the school stays within reach of those students and their families."

Beginning in the fall of 2020, the Mount Union Pell Opportunity Grant will be awarded to new, first-year students from Ohio and across the United States. Students eligible for the grant must have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher, file the Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) and be Pell eligible with a parent income of $55,000 or less.

Mount Union has a rich history of serving Pell eligible students. In fact, the University was recently recognized as a Top Performer on Social Mobility among Midwest Regional Colleges by U.S. News & World Report, which measures how well institutions graduate students who received Federal Pell Grants.

"With the total number of Pell Grant recipients increasing by seven percent nationally over the past decade and the high number of Pell eligible students that the University currently serves, it is essential for Mount Union to help lift the burden of debt carried by our most financially challenged students through the establishment of this grant," said Lindajean Heller Western, vice president for enrollment management.

The Mount Union Pell Opportunity Grant is only one of many affordability initiatives in place at the University. In addition to managing tuition costs, the institution offers a robust scholarship and financial aid program that makes a Mount Union education accessible and more affordable for families. The institution awards more than $30.7 million in grants and scholarships each year and the average aid package to students is $26,172, which makes the cost of Mount Union's private education comparable with public institutions.

To learn more about the grant, visit mountunion.edu/umu-pell.

SOURCE University of Mount Union

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http://www.mountunion.edu