University of Louisville Announces New Financial Aid Program for Low-Income Students

The University of Louisville, a state-operated university in Kentucky, has announced the Cardinal Covenant program for low-income students. The program will supplement federal financial aid by providing scholarship grants for any remaining unmet need to cover full tuition and room and board costs for all in-state students whose family income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. The Cardinal Covenant will also provide a book allowance.

Under the program, students will receive funds if they qualify for federal Pell Grants, are enrolled full-time, maintain satisfactory grades, and graduate within five years.

About 22.6 percent of all families in Kentucky have income below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. The university estimates that about 150 students will qualify for the program this coming fall. Blacks make up 13 percent of the 15,000 undergraduates at the University of Louisville.