As we approach the 10th anniversary of our college graduation, I am re

Letter by Class Agent.

Dear fellow alumni,

As we approach the 10th anniversary of our college graduation, I am reminded of all the things that made our time in college special: our idyllic campus, the academic rigor fostered by our exceptional faculty, and, above all, the excellence and diversity of the student body.

As you know, the College is committed to maintaining this diversity and the rigorous education its students reccive, even in the facc of rising costs. While other institutions, in order to combat these costs, have expanded their student classes so that they could increase their overall tuition revenues, our alma mater has resisted such student growth, choosing instead to safeguard its preciously low student-to-faculty ratio—which is a great benefit for students. With a total enrollment of 1600 students in 2010, the College remains one of the smallest liberal arts schools of its kind. Furthermore, the College has increased its average financial aid package every year over the past 25 years, and has offered this aid to an increasing percentage of its student population, in order to ensure that all deserving students can afford to attend, regardless of their financial circum-stances.

This commitment to the students must be financed somehow. This is where we come in: the Alumni Fund directly supports student financial aid. In 2010, 46% of our class of 320 members contributed to the fund, and the total donations were enough to finance exactly two-thirds of one financial aid package. This year we have set a goal of 55% participation. Will you join me in helping today’s bright students afford the same excellent education that we received?

The graph shows the growth in average financial aid per student, and the percent of students receiving financial aid at the College since 1980.