Lafayette Merit Aid

1. Applying Early Decision when a merit scholarship is critical to enrollment.+

   Lafayette explicitly cautions: 'If your enrollment here is critically dependent on being awarded a merit-based scholarship, you should apply under the Regular Decision option.' ED is binding, so a student admitted ED without the Marquis or Cur Non award they need is stuck. Apply RD to preserve the option to walk away.

2. Forgetting to file the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA.+

   Lafayette is one of the ~200 colleges that still require the CSS Profile alongside FAFSA for institutional need-based aid. Lafayette also uses the College Board's IDOC service for tax documents. FAFSA alone gets you federal aid but not the Lafayette institutional grant.

3. Assuming Cur Non is a single award level.+

   Cur Non Scholarships range from $17,500 to $31,500 per year — a $14,000 spread between the floor and ceiling, or $56,000 over four years. Lafayette does not publish a stat-to-dollar table within the range. Plan the family budget around the Cur Non floor until the actual award arrives.

4. Skipping outside scholarships because you assume they'll displace Lafayette aid.+

   Lafayette is one of the few LACs that publicly commits to not reducing institutional grant aid in response to outside scholarships. The only exception is when total aid would exceed federal maximum allowed financial aid. For families with significant outside scholarship potential (regional, employer, civic awards), this is meaningfully more valuable than at peer schools that follow a grant-first displacement policy.

Academically strong students who want a small Pennsylvania LAC with both real merit and meet-full-need aid; especially attractive to families under $200,000 income (class of 2028 onward) who qualify for Lafayette's loan-reduction initiative and want freedom to stack outside scholarships without losing institutional grant.

Every tier below is sourced to the school’s own published financial aid pages. Renewal terms apply only if the student maintains the stated GPA.

Lafayette explicitly does not displace institutional grant aid in response to outside scholarships, except when total aid would exceed federal limits — one of the most stacker-friendly published policies among LACs of this tier.

Per Lafayette's published FAQ, the college encourages outside scholarships and does not reduce need-based grant funding in response, with the only exception being when total aid would push a student above federal maximum allowed financial aid. Outside scholarships should be reported via the Report Outside Scholarships form.

Source

Named awards that don’t always surface on the main financial aid page. Each one has its own eligibility rules.

• How much merit aid does Lafayette give?

  Lafayette publishes three named merit awards: the Marquis Fellowship (full tuition), the Marquis Scholarship (half tuition), and the Cur Non Scholarship ($17,500-$31,500 per year). All applicants are automatically considered with no separate application required. All three are renewable for up to 8 semesters with a 3.00 cumulative GPA.

• Does Lafayette meet full demonstrated need?

  Yes. Lafayette is one of approximately 100 U.S. colleges that guarantees to meet the full demonstrated financial need of admitted students who submit the CSS Profile, FAFSA, and IDOC tax documents by the appropriate deadlines. Need-based aid is reviewed and re-awarded each academic year.

• Will outside scholarships reduce my Lafayette aid?

  Generally no. Lafayette's published policy is that the College does not reduce need-based grant funding in response to outside scholarships unless a student is already receiving the maximum amount of financial aid according to federal regulations. This is one of the most generous published outside-scholarship policies among LACs of this tier.

• Is the Marquis Fellowship harder to get if I apply Early Decision?

  Lafayette says all ED I, ED II, and RD applicants are considered for merit, and merit awards are noted in the acceptance letter. But the College explicitly warns: if merit is critical to your enrollment, apply RD. ED is binding, so a student who needs a specific award level should not lock themselves in before that award is known.

• Does Lafayette have a no-loan or low-loan policy?

  Yes, beginning with the class of 2028. Lafayette is among a small number of top colleges and universities eliminating or lowering the loan burden of students from families with incomes under $200,000. The mechanics are folded into the need-based aid package — apply with the CSS Profile and FAFSA by the deadlines.