Located 70 miles from New York City and 60 miles from Philadelphia, Lafayette is an exclusively undergraduate, residential college that challenges its 2,450 students to move beyond the familiar, the comfortable, and the easy and dares them to become thinkers and leaders. Embracing the philosophy of the Marquis de Lafayette that is embodied in the motto Cur Non ("Why not?"), the College offers students opportunities to jump into the thick of things, to take risks, to care deeply. An interdisciplinary curriculum transcends academic boundaries and gives students the breadth and freedom to study what they are passionate about. Students may choose among 50 majors in four academic divisions - humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering - or work with professors to create their own major. The student-faculty ratio is 10 to 1. Students and faculty explore innovative ways to teach and learn, infusing classroom learning with field experience and service-based projects in communities locally and around the world. A culture of mentoring has led Lafayette to have a high percentage of students working with faculty on research. Some students go on to coauthor papers with professors and present findings at regional and national conferences. Solutions to the world's challenges happen where ideas and specialties intersect. Lafayette's longstanding tradition of interdisciplinary study -- exemplified between liberal arts and engineering - creates synergies, sparks discovery, and advances knowledge. The ability to combine interests and collaborate with others in different fields makes a Lafayette education especially powerful. It's a big reason why students receive coveted internships, get into top graduate schools, and succeed in life. In recent years, 95 percent or more of Lafayette's graduating seniors have been employed, continuing their education, in internships, or in volunteer work within six months of graduation. Students today want their education to be like their world: connected. Lafayette's approach creates connections, integrating students' academic, social, and professional development into a seamless pathway to the future. Each entering student is placed into one of five residential Commons, which serve as platforms for intellectual engagement, friendship, and bonding. Students have created a culture of more than 250 clubs and campus organizations. Lafayette has the thrill of theater and music programs that have launched careers in the arts, plus the energy of Division I athletics. Lafayette is committed to partnering with students of all financial backgrounds to make its active, globally connected education affordable. Lafayette awarded over $43 million in College-funded grants and scholarships in 2016-17 and has budgeted nearly $47 million for 2017-18. Over half of the College's students are eligible for financial assistance and receive the aid they need to make a Lafayette education possible through grants, scholarships, loans, and/or work-study. Accepted students with demonstrated need whose total family earnings are less than $50,000 will realize a financial aid award that meets that need with scholarship, grant, and work-study. Lafayette recognizes its most outstanding applicants with merit-based awards named for the Marquis de Lafayette. The Marquis Awards are offered to approximately 10 percent of accepted applicants each year. The Marquis Scholarship is valued at $24,000 per year, and the Marquis Fellowship is valued at $40,000 per year. Additional benefits include a stipend of $4,000 for one faculty-led off-campus course during an interim session. Marquis Fellows and Marquis Scholars seeking financial aid and whose demonstrated need exceeds the amount of their fellowship or scholarship award will receive a financial aid award, inclusive of the fellowship or scholarship, up to demonstrated need.

Academic Grad Slug