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The University of �鶹������ý at Lafayette announced today that its enrollment for the Fall 2009 Semester is on track with the university’s plan to attract more highly qualified students while maintaining overall enrollment.

Fall 2009 enrollment at �鶹������ý Lafayette is 16,361, slightly up from 16,320 students last Fall.

“ In recent years, �鶹������ý Lafayette has been attracting more high-caliber freshmen and stabilizing enrollment through good retention rates,” stated �鶹������ý Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie. “This Fall’s entering freshman class has an average ACT score of 22.3, a grade point average of 3.24, and includes a record number of high school valedictorians. Seventy students in the freshman class had ACT scores of 30 or above.

“ The enrollment increase, while slight, indicates the start of a positive growth pattern for the university, particularly since enrollment held solid despite major cuts in state funding. Budget cuts led to a reduction in course offerings and, as a result, a loss of students previously enrolled in community service courses, as well as a loss of students, particularly international students, who could not afford the necessary tuition increases.

“ I believe that �鶹������ý Lafayette is increasingly becoming the university of choice for many of �鶹������ý’s brightest students. The university offers a high-quality educational experience in a friendly and culturally rich region of the state.”