Luther College is expanding its scholarships and awards offered to students who enroll starting next fall. The new awards include increased amounts for academic merit scholarships and a new scholarship for first-generation students. These changes, which are available to both first-year and transfer students, are meant to broaden the accessibility of a Luther education by keeping tuition affordable.

Amy Weldon, Luther College Professor of English, published Advanced Fiction, a textbook that offers a comprehensive and innovative guide for undergraduate students or any writer looking for direction, on Aug. 24.

Anniken Huitfeldt, Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, will give a lecture on Luther’s campus at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Noble Recital Hall in the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music. The talk is free and open to the public.

The Luther College Writers Festival returns to campus this month, featuring the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Ross Gay as the keynote speaker. In addition to Gay, the festival will feature a broad coalition of 18 writers publishing in fiction, nonfiction and poetry. The festival begins Friday, Sept. 22, and ends Saturday, Sept. 23.

“It’s an exciting time for Luther, where we have launched a new core curriculum that fosters skills-based learning as well as engagement with the local and global communities for each student,” said Karen Hunt, vice president for enrollment management at Luther.

The new Luther College curriculum includes fewer required credits and gives students more flexibility to pursue their interests and passions within their Luther education. It also fulfills the college’s goals to provide a more skills-based curriculum.

The three Luther alumni “represent a forward-looking mindset with a love and respect for the way their own Luther experience shaped them,” said President Ward.

“This season highlights one of Luther’s core values: understanding ourselves and the world by being both grounded and global,” said Kristen Underwood, director of campus programming.

Students who take advantage of this program will be able to earn a bachelor’s degree plus master’s degree in public health in five years.

According to U.S. News and World Report, Luther College is ranked number two in the nation when it comes to the percentage of students who participate in study abroad programs.