LASeR — Lebanese Association for Scientific Research
Overview
- Provider: Lebanese Association for Scientific Research (LASeR), founded 2009 in Tripoli, Lebanon by ~40 university professors. https://laser-lb.org/laser/
- Type: Lebanese non-profit / NGO.
- Mission: Spreading science and research through capacity building, scholarships, and partnerships to meet the needs of society and the labor market.
- What LASeR does: Three intervention paths — (1) scholarship programs in partnership with universities and schools, (2) capacity-building programs (Tashgheel, AI Club, Digi-YESS, CareeReady), (3) institutional support (e.g., solar PV systems for schools).
- Programs covered on this page: City Fund (BA / MS / PhD), LASeR–AUB Graduate Studies Scholarship, Spotlight (LASeR–SNHU), Lebanese University Scholarship, Bucknell FLTA, and Université de La Rochelle. The K-12 School Fund is mentioned briefly but is out of scope for university scholarships.
- Official website: https://laser-lb.org
- Application portal: https://connected.laser-lb.org ("ConnectEd")
Grade & background requirements
LASeR runs distinct programs with different eligibility. Requirements per program are listed below; check the linked official page for the most current details.
City Fund — Bachelor's
- Academic level: First-time university enrollee pursuing a Bachelor's degree.
- Nationality / residency: Resident of Lebanon, any nationality (Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, etc.).
- Academic standing: Strong baccalaureate performance. Specific GPA / average cutoff: not available.
- Financial criteria: Must be able to repay monthly loan installments for the non-scholarship portion.
- Other: Required attendance at LASeR workshops and additional learning experiences. Cannot be combined with most other scholarships.
- Source: https://laser-lb.org/city-fund-scholarship/
City Fund — MS / PhD
- Interest-free loan only (not a scholarship). Available at universities worldwide, contingent on prior LASeR approval.
- Source: https://laser-lb.org/city-fund/
LASeR–AUB Graduate Studies Scholarship
- Academic level: New (incoming) Master's students at AUB. Currently enrolled AUB students are not eligible.
- Academic standing: Good standing in undergraduate degree — B+ minimum, or 14/20 for Lebanese University students.
- Nationality / residency: Lebanon resident of any nationality.
- Restrictions: Online MBA programs are not covered. Cannot be combined with other scholarships in most cases.
- Financial commitment: Must be able to repay monthly installments for the loan portion.
- Source: https://laser-lb.org/aub-scholarship/
Spotlight — LASeR × SNHU
- Academic level: Recent high-school graduates with Lebanese Baccalaureate, I'tilaf, BT3, or TS Technical Baccalaureate.
- Geographic restriction: Students from North Lebanon (Tripoli and Akkar sites).
- Nationality: Any nationality. Program serves vulnerable learners and refugees.
- English: Good English standings required. Specific TOEFL / IELTS minimum: not available.
- Time commitment: Must dedicate at least 12 hours per week to studies.
- Source: https://laser-lb.org/spotlight/
Lebanese University Scholarship
- Academic level: Students in their second year, third year, or beyond at the Lebanese University.
- Academic standing: 12/20 average or higher.
- Nationality / residency: Resident of Lebanon, any nationality.
- Source: https://laser-lb.org/lu-scholarship/
Bucknell FLTA
- One-year fully funded Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship for early-career professionals in English, education, translation, or related fields.
- Source: https://laser-lb.org/partner-universities/
Université de La Rochelle (France)
- Master's in Civil Engineering, Building Engineering specialization. Eligibility detail: not available.
- Source: https://laser-lb.org/partner-universities/
Application window
- Where to apply: https://connected.laser-lb.org — the ConnectEd portal handles most programs. Spotlight uses dedicated Microsoft Forms for the Tripoli and Akkar sites.
- Process: Submit application → invited candidates do an interview (online or in-person) → interview is decisive → results communicated by phone and posted to the applicant's ConnectEd account.
- Standardized tests: Not required. https://laser-lb.org/faqs/
Confirmed dates
| Program | Stage | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| LASeR–AUB Graduate | Application deadline (2026/27) | March 15, 2026 | Facebook announcement |
| LASeR–AUB Graduate | Notification | By end of March 2026 (phone + portal) | https://laser-lb.org/aub-scholarship/ |
| City Fund — Bachelor's | Open / Close dates | Not available | https://laser-lb.org/city-fund-scholarship/ |
| Spotlight (SNHU) | Open / Close dates | Not available | https://laser-lb.org/spotlight/ |
| Lebanese University | Open / Close dates | Not available | https://laser-lb.org/lu-scholarship/ |
**Required documents: **Not available — the ConnectEd portal collects documents per program at submission time. AUB applicants must additionally submit a full AUB graduate application with its own document list.
Supported universities
LASeR maintains partnership agreements with ~25 institutions inside and outside Lebanon. Scholarships are tied to specific partners — they are not transferable. Source: https://laser-lb.org/partner-universities/.
| University | Country | Level | Scholarship % | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Université Saint-Joseph (USJ) | Lebanon | BA / MS / PhD | 50% scholarship + 50% interest-free loan | https://laser-lb.org/partner-universities/ |
| American University of Beirut (AUB) | Lebanon | MS / PhD only | 50% scholarship + ≤50% interest-free loan | https://laser-lb.org/aub-scholarship/ |
| Beirut Arab University (BAU) — Tripoli | Lebanon | BS (excludes Pharmacy) | 40% scholarship + 60% loan paid by LASeR (Sept 1 / Jan 1) | https://laser-lb.org/city-fund-scholarship/ |
| Beirut Arab University (BAU) — Bekaa | Lebanon | BS | 40% scholarship + 60% loan | https://laser-lb.org/city-fund-scholarship/ |
| Rafik Hariri University (RHU) | Lebanon | BS | 40% scholarship + 60% loan | https://laser-lb.org/partner-universities/ |
| American University of Technology (AUT) | Lebanon | BS | Not available | https://laser-lb.org/partner-universities/ |
| AZM University | Lebanon | BS | Not available | https://laser-lb.org/partner-universities/ |
| City University | Lebanon | BS | Not available | https://laser-lb.org/partner-universities/ |
| Tripoli University | Lebanon | BS | Not available | https://laser-lb.org/partner-universities/ |
| Lebanese University | Lebanon | Year 2+ | 100% of registration fees only | https://laser-lb.org/lu-scholarship/ |
| Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) | USA / blended on-site | Associate / BA | 100% tuition (up to 4 years) | https://laser-lb.org/spotlight/ |
| Bucknell University | USA | 1-year FLTA | Fully funded | https://laser-lb.org/partner-universities/ |
| Université de La Rochelle | France | MS Civil Engineering | Not available | https://laser-lb.org/partner-universities/ |
Benefits
City Fund — Bachelor's (BAU / RHU model)
- Tuition: 40% scholarship from LASeR's partner.
- Remainder (60%): Paid up-front by LASeR in two installments (Sept 1, Jan 1) and repaid by the student to LASeR at zero interest.
- Excludes: BAU Pharmacy.
City Fund — Bachelor's (USJ model)
- Tuition: Up to 50% scholarship.
- Remainder: Zero-interest loan repaid in monthly installments starting the month after award.
LASeR–AUB Graduate
- Tuition: 50% scholarship + ≤50% interest-free loan.
- Repayment: Monthly installments starting the month after enrollment.
- Excludes: Online MBA programs.
- Housing / stipend / books / travel: Not included.
Spotlight (LASeR–SNHU)
- Tuition: 100% covered for up to 4 years.
- Equipment: Laptop and internet provided.
- Programming: Workshops; on-site and online internship pipeline including AUB and MIT.
- Housing / stipend: Not available beyond tuition + equipment.
Lebanese University Scholarship
- Covers the registration fees only. LU is already heavily subsidized; this covers the remaining registration fees for accepted students.
Bucknell FLTA
- Fully funded one-year teaching assistantship. Standard FLTA programs typically cover stipend, housing, and tuition for two courses; specific LASeR-side benefits: not available.
Cross-program logistics
- Loan installments are paid directly to LASeR (at the office or via bank), not to the university.
- Required attendance at LASeR workshops / additional learning experiences applies across all programs.
Contacts of recipients
Official program contact
- Office: Al Khayat Building, Azmi Street, Tripoli, Lebanon — 2nd floor.
- Phone: +961 6 446 632.
- WhatsApp: +961 81 429 498 (general) · +961 71 98 65 14 (LASeR–AUB scholarship).
- Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
- Email: Not available. Contact via phone, WhatsApp, or social media.
- Application portal: https://connected.laser-lb.org
- Website: https://laser-lb.org
Past recipients
Not available — no publicly listed recipient names or testimonials. LASeR's social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) periodically feature recipient spotlights.