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Saint Michael’s College was founded and based on the strong historical roots of The Society of St. Edmund. This college provides a solid and unique source of education to students by offering a strong internal community as well as a well balanced curriculum that incorporates all religions and cultures. Saint Michael’s College offers a wide array of programs that enable students to fulfill their own legacy of service, such as the Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts program, more commonly referred to as the MOVE program. Saint Michael’s also offers a strong support community through their Peace and Justice Program, which actively carries out the legacy of The Society of St. Edmund within the ministry and communities. Saint Michael’s remains the only Edmundite college that exists throughout the world! How is this unique? These values and rich history allow Saint Michael’s to create a unique structure and curriculum for students that cannot be found any place else.
Although Saint Michael’s is a Catholic based college, the curriculum here focuses on the importance of understanding the diversity of all religions and cultures. Here, students can indulge in the various faiths and how they affect lifestyles and world history. Saint Michael’s offers a unique education to students because it incorporates and encourages students to question various ethics, philosophies and trends of history to obtain a full understanding and well rounded education of both faith and studies. Multiculturalism is one of the main focuses of the Saint Michael’s curriculum and mission. It is this mission that separates Saint Michael’s from any other college experience a student could receive. Students are able to pursue their choice of over 50 majors, including Education, Journalism and Digital Arts, English, History and Political Science. With the close-knit community that Saint Michael’s provides to its 2,000 students, many students are able to successfully secure career positions within the first year of graduating from Saint Michael’s.
School History
Saint Michael’s College was founded by The Society of St. Edmund in 1904, enrolling only male students. This society is most widely known for their strong involvement in the Civil War as well as their dedication mission for service, hospitality and education. The Society of St. Edmund was established more than 100 years ago by an order of priests in France, in honor of St. Edmund of Canterbury, known as the peacemaker. After migrating to Vermont, this order created and opened Saint Michael’s to spread their views of the importance of such education to local students. These values are shown in the structure and daily life of Saint Michael’s. With such a strong historical dedication to social justice has enables Saint Michael’s to create laser-targeted programs that encourage students to get involved with their community and environments to make a difference.
Saint Michael’s College received accreditation in 1937.
On campus, the Founders Hall building was where Saint Michael’s had originally started – a farmhouse that rested on the land purchased by the Edmundites in 1904. At that time, the school served to introduce students to the European style liberal arts, as St. Edmund had taught them during his years as a Professor at Oxford University. Since then, Saint Michael’s and its curriculum have evolved with the times – maintaining the teachings of Catholicism, yet incorporating a more diverse balance of beliefs, cultures and equality of mankind.
It was during the early 1970s that Saint Michael’s began to enroll women students, which increased the enrollment to nearly 2,000 students.
Saint Michael’s developed such as strong presence in the academic world that by the early 2000s the school had become a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society – an honor that only 270 colleges receive. Due to its rich history and strong values, Saint Michael’s has also ranked in the top 100 liberal arts colleges on a national level.
Campus Life
Saint Michael’s provides a well rounded and active campus life for students, showcasing a variety of performing arts shows and festivals right on campus grounds. As the school is based on service and social activism, there are plenty of activities that involve both school and community responsibilities and action plans. The morale of campus life remains upbeat and close-knit at all times since all of the students live on campus. This establishes an independent atmosphere for the students to build and grow while working together to create activities such as fundraisers, performances and festivals.
Students have a choice between dorming in resident halls or student apartments that are located on campus. Saint Michael’s provides everything a student could need on campus, especially a wide array of dining options. All students can visit The Green Mountain Dining Room for unlimited servings of their favorite dishes! This facility serves three meals each day and offers a different menu that incorporates everything from main dishes and specialty salads to wraps and pizza.
The atmosphere of campus life at Saint Michael’s offers students a solid foundation of community and overall well-being. The beautiful Vermont landscape combined with the day to day activities both on and off campus, create the ideal atmosphere for students to grow.
Financial Aid
Saint Michael’s College is dedicated to assisting students with financial aid options to help reduce the stress of paying tuition. Upon admission to Saint Michael’s, all students are considered for various merit-based aid, as well as traditional FAFSA loans, which can award partial or full tuition coverage. In addition to traditional scholarships and loan based financial aid, Saint Michael’s also offers various work-study programs that can alleviate tuition costs for students.
The Office of Financial Aid at Saint Michael’s is available to assist students with loan qualifications and financial aid documents. Staff members are available to consult and support students, answering any questions they may have regarding tuition and financial aid. Saint Michael’s is dedicated to providing a solid resource for students to make the college experience both educationally and financially nourishing.
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