LANCASTER, PA - Lancaster Dollars for Higher Learning (LDHL) has announced that the 2026-2027 interest-free loan application period is now open to Lancaster County residents who will be enrolled full-time at an accredited institution - trade, technical, two-year, four-year, or graduate school. LDHL will offer interest-free loans of $1,800 to $2,000, with the final loan amount to be determined in May 2026 by the LDHL Board of Directors.
Applications will be accepted between February 1st and April 30th at www.lancdollars.org. To apply, applicants must submit the LDHL loan application along with a copy of their 2026-2027 FAFSA Submission Summary. This is the summary submission document a student receives after completing the FAFSA. Students can apply every academic year to be considered for the loan and may receive a maximum of four (4) loans—one per academic year.
Loan checks will be sent directly to the student’s institution in August to be used toward tuition expenses. Repayment of the interest-free loan will begin six (6) months after the student graduates or withdraws from their institution. At that time, students will have a monthly loan payment of $140 and at any time have the option to pay off their loans early.
“As previous loan recipients repay their loans following graduation, LDHL offers loans to new applicants,” stated Linda Schroeder, Board of Directors President. “These loan repayments, coupled with the philanthropic support of our community donors, have provided over $21,000,000 in interest-free loans since 1961.”
Over the last 65 years, the LDHL interest-free loan program has awarded more than 15,000 loans to Lancaster County students, attending over 500 different higher learning institutions across the country.
If you are interested in learning how you can support the LDHL interest-free loan program, visit www.lancdollars.org.