In an attempt to become a need-blind institution, Lafayette College has presented a few initiatives to make this possible in the upcoming years. One of these initiatives is the reallocation of funds, particularly the funds dedicated to the DC branch of the Posse Foundation currently present on this campus.

"The Posse Foundation has identified, recruited and trained 6,983 public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential to become Posse Scholars. Since 1989, these students—many of whom might have been overlooked by traditional college selection processes—have been receiving four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships from Posse’s partner institutions of higher education. Most important, Posse Scholars persist and graduate at a rate of 90 percent and make a visible difference on campus and throughout their professional careers." (The Posse Foundation)

At a campus where a majority of students come from the same socioeconomic background, race, and similar identities, Posse provides a safe-haven for our students of color and a welcoming environment for students who do not identify with the "norm". Posse is not only a scholarship, but a support network and leadership initiative that we do not believe Lafayette offers anywhere else. We, the community of Lafayette College, feel that the presence of Posse on this campus is irreplaceable and invaluable. While we encourage the installment of a need-blind program, we feel that de-funding half of our current Posse presence presents more harm than benefit.

In signing this petition, we pledge to stand with Posse as the Lafayette administration deliberates the future of this program. #IStandWithPosse

Learn more about the Posse Foundation here: https://www.possefoundation.org/

Learn more about Lafayette's initiative here:
https://www.lafayettestudentnews.com/blog/2016/02/...
https://news.lafayette.edu/2016/02/24/lafayettes-p...