Saint Leo University Continues Assistance to College Students in Puerto Rico
Discounted tuition as well as room and board will be offered again for Fall Semester 2018 at Saint Leo University for students who were attending college in Puerto Rico.
Recovery efforts continue in Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in September 2017. As colleges on the island struggle to return to normal, Saint Leo University again will offer assistance for college students in Puerto Rico who have had their education affected by the aftermath of the hurricane.
For the Fall Semester 2018 (beginning in August), Saint Leo will provide these students with free room and board, as well as a discounted tuition rate of $8,500. While these students will be responsible for the cost of books, Saint Leo also will waive their student fees to further aid in their ability to continue their educations. Federal financial aid and other private scholarships may be utilized to help pay the discounted tuition rate.
Saint Leo first offered this assistance to students from Puerto Rico for Spring Semester 2018. For those students from Puerto Rico who accepted the assistance, the university now will extend the aid so that they may continue their education in the fall.
"At Saint Leo we live by six core values, one of which is community," said Dr. William J. Lennox Jr., university president. "We are happy to extend this helping hand and extend our community to those who have had their college careers interrupted by this devastation."
The program is jointly managed through the Office of Admissions and the Office of Academic Affairs. The program is offered to students currently enrolled in Puerto Rican colleges and universities. "Our hope is that those displaced will have an opportunity to continue their studies here at University Campus for a semester and be ready to return to their primary institutions still on track to graduate on time," said Dr. Jeffrey Senese, provost and senior vice president of Academic and Student Affairs.
Students who enroll at Saint Leo for the Fall 2018 Semester under this special program may choose to continue their studies at Saint Leo, provided they exhibit satisfactory academic performance. Going forward, regular tuition, fees, and room and board will follow the traditional cost of attendance for full-time students. However, students may be eligible for financial aid and other institutional funding at that time.
For information, contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@saintleo.edu or call (352) 588-8283 or (800) 334-5532.
About Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University (www.saintleo.edu) is a modern Catholic teaching university that is firmly grounded in the liberal arts tradition and the timeless Benedictine wisdom that seeks balanced growth of mind, body, and spirit. The Saint Leo University of today is a private, nonprofit institution that creates hospitable learning communities wherever students want to be or need to be, whether that is a campus classroom, a web-based environment, an employer's worksite, a military base, or an office park. Saint Leo welcomes people of all faiths and of no religious affiliation, and encourages learners of all generations. The university is committed to providing educational opportunities to the nation's armed forces, veterans, and their families. Saint Leo is regionally accredited to award degrees ranging from the associate to the doctorate, and the faculty and staff guide all students to develop their capacities for critical thinking, moral reflection, and lifelong learning and leadership.
The university remains the faithful steward of the beautiful lakeside University Campus in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, where its founding monks created the first Catholic college in the state in 1889. Serving more than 13,000 students, Saint Leo has expanded to downtown Tampa, to other sites in Florida and beyond, and maintains a physical presence in seven states. The university provides highly respected online learning programs to students nationally and internationally. More than 90,000 alumni reside in all 50 states, in Washington, DC, in three U.S. territories, and in 76 countries.
Media Contact: Mary McCoy, University Writer & Media Relations, mary.mccoy02@saintleo.edu, (352) 588-7118 or cell (813) 610-8416