Dear RHU Family and Friends,
The current economic hardships in Lebanon have raised concerns about the potential effect on students’ access to college education, their persistence in college, and the financial burden of college fees on students and parents. College fees have adversely affected the enrollment of students in institutions of higher learning in Lebanon. Many dropped out of college because of their inability to meet anymore the cost of their education.
Despite those dire times, the Rafik Hariri University (RHU) will continue with greater pledge and dedication to fulfill its Founder’s vision of providing affordable excellence in education TO ALL, regardless of faith or political affiliation. It will continue its path to be an incubator of innovation, a launch site for entrepreneurs, and an award-winning university of firsts at the best cost possible.
Throughout its twenty-year journey, RHU has cultivated its mission and evolved a benevolent model for the provision of a multi-disciplinary, American style liberal arts education through implicit subsidization of university fees. During the last four years, tuition fees were set at a constant, even though tuition fees are already subsidized. In fact, RHU full annual tuition fees stand at 17 million LBP for all the majors in the College of Engineering and 12 million LBP for all the other majors in the Colleges of Business Administration and Arts and Sciences.
Moreover, despite the free fall of the Lebanese pound against the US dollar, Rafik Hariri University fees continue to be billed in Lebanese pounds. The university also maintains a highly flexible deferred payment program where tuition fees are divided over four monthly installments for each of the fall and spring semesters and two installments for the summer semester.
Considering the value of a college education, Rafik Hariri University also offers merit-based scholarships to prospective students in recognition of their excellent academic standing. In addition, RHU provides qualified new and continuing students financial aid, sibling discount and a rewarding work study program to assist them financially in attaining their degrees. In fact, 95.86% of all RHU students benefitted from one or more form of financial support during 2019-2020 academic year. It is worth noting that RHU scholarships range between 20 to 80 percent and are given automatically without the need for an application based on the student’s scholastic achievement.
The Rafik Hariri University mission will continue to be driven forward by fundraising efforts. In fact, most of the previously received funds were dedicated to finance RHU Scholarships and/or Financial Aid. This will continue at a stronger more zealous tempo to try to counter the impact of the meltdown of the Lebanese economy.
Based on all the above, compared to other institutions of higher learning in Lebanon that provide the same high-quality education, Rafik Hariri University is better poised to be the destination university in Lebanon for the future.
While Lebanon is facing the calamity of increased poverty and unprecedented rates of unemployment, Rafik Hariri University shall maintain its unique role for which it was originally founded, of making high-quality education accessible to all. The role it has chosen to play has attracted the high caliber students, most significantly those who could not generally afford a college education, and transformed their lives and the lives of their families.
Today, RHU emerges proud of the human impact it has made during its short 20-year history that of transforming lives. It shall continue to do so graduating the talented, highly skilled, and devoted leaders to join a powerful RHU alumni family whose members have achieved illustrious academic careers, attained advanced degrees from prestigious international universities, and are now leaders in their selected professions.
Best Regards,
Professor Makram Suidan
President