February marked the 60-year anniversary of Lancaster Dollars for Higher Learning (LDHL), a nonprofit that provides Lancaster County residents with interest-free student loans to help them obtain their higher education goals. As of Feb. 15, LDHL, which was formerly known as Dollars for Scholars of Lancaster County and Citizens' Scholarship Foundation of Lancaster County, has provided more than $18 million to more than 13,000 students to help them attend more than 500 colleges and universities.

Today, LDHL continues the mission established by its founders in 1961 to provide needs-based, interest-free loans to eligible students for up to four years with affordable repayment terms. Loan recipients have faithfully repaid those loans - even during the challenging season of the COVID-19 pandemic - so that LDHL could recycle the money to provide loans for future students.

LDHL has been able to continue to increase the number of loans it provides over its six-decade history due to financial support from individuals and companies, including many past loan recipients and their parents who give back in gratitude. The organization has had a steadily growing number of Legacy-level donors - individuals, groups, or organizations that have donated at the $10,000 level, either as a one-time donation or over several years. Of the 253 loans LDHL provided for the 2020-21 academic year, 30 were Legacy loans.

The Traditional Loan Program application period for the 2021-22 academic year will be open until Friday, April 30. To learn more, readers may visit http://www.lancdollars.org.