Alfred University proudly launched its 190th academic year on Monday, August 25, as students returned for the start of the fall semester. With more than 450 new students, the incoming class is among the most notable in recent history. It includes the largest-ever cohorts of AU Scholars and participants in the AU Advantage Summer Bridge Program.
“We are thrilled to welcome the largest number of AU Scholars in the four-year history of the program,” said Mark Zupan, Alfred University president. “Recipients of the scholarship are not only gifted academically, but typically demonstrate exceptional grit, curiosity, and engagement. This is exactly the kind of student who thrives at Alfred.”
The AU Scholars program provides generous scholarships to students nominated through their high school guidance offices: $30,000 per year for four years; $18,000 annually for four years for students enrolled in programs in the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Since the program was initiated four years ago, scholarship recipients have typically shown the highest rate of retention among Alfred University students. Students in the AU Advantage Summer Bridge Program spend four weeks on campus before their first semester, adjusting to life on campus and easing the transition from high school to college.
The incoming class also includes 57 international students representing 29 countries, with 14 of them hailing from the African nation of Tanzania.
“This is our largest cohort of international students in six years,” said Kyla Whannell, director of Admissions and interim vice president of Enrollment Management. “Inclusivity is one of Alfred University’s core strengths and it is reflected in the diversity of our student body.”
As Alfred University marks its 190th year, the talent and commitment of its students continue to define and drive its mission.
