The “Why” Behind This Year’s Private School Enrollment Numbers
Posted 04 Aug, 2009
Ups and Downs
This has been a year of worry for many private colleges–a majority of them seemed to share the viewpoint that the economy would mean many fewer applicants and subsequently smaller enrollment numbers. Their fears, which seem reasonable, have finally been disproved by the results of a survey just released by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, which showed that private colleges and universities actually had a 0.2% increase in student enrollment this year.
That doesn’t mean they haven’t fallen on hard times, however. While the incoming class may still be ready and eager to get to work, many continuing students have had to alter their path. A full 39% of surveyed schools said that some of their students had been forced to drop out due to financial pressures, and over a quarter of the schools experienced students changing their status from a full- to part-time students for the same reason.
It’s All About the Money
The small increase in enrollment may have something to do with new admissions policies–private schools have put more effort and time into their recruiting process this year, and about 1/3 have even changed their admissions practices by accepting late applicants. Even so, most of us would agree that even the best recruitment strategies won’t sway a student to attend a school that is far out of his or her price range.
Perhaps one of the most influential decisions made by many private colleges this year was to step up to help combat the effects of the recession. Over 50% of the NAICU-surveyed private schools said their tuition increases this year were notably lower than in previous years. Seventy-seven percent said they are offering some increased amount of institutional aid, while at least 15% had added a sizable number of extra financial aid offerings.
Only One Extra Helping?
Many survey respondents feel that these changes won’t last–colleges simply don’t believe they have the funding to sustain this kind of generosity. This means that college leadership are now worried about what will happen if the recession will spill into the next admission cycle, or beyond.
Even with the current general trend of increased enrollment, some schools have been hit with a drop as high as 17%, and it is difficult to pinpoint why. I believe it could be due to these schools not being as aggressive in recruiting as some other colleges or not having the financial ability to prop up financial aid packages to get their net prices down for the coming school year. It seems that as the recession continues, only time will tell how students and their schools will cope with the changing financial picture.
All the best,
Deborah Fox
Deborah Fox is the founder of Fox College Funding®, a nationwide company that helps families find creative ways to reduce their college costs.
Photo: Harvard Red Tree by surekat
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Ups and Downs
This has been a year of worry for many private colleges–a majority of them seemed to share the viewpoint that the economy would mean many fewer applicants and subsequently smaller enrollment numbers. Their fears, which seem reasonable, have finally been disproved by the results of a survey just released by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, which showed that private colleges and universities actually had a 0.2% increase in student enrollment this year.
That doesn’t mean they haven’t fallen on hard times, however. While the incoming class may still be ready and eager to get to work, many continuing students have had to alter their path. A full 39% of surveyed schools said that some of their students had been forced to drop out due to financial pressures, and over a quarter of the schools experienced students changing their status from a full- to part-time students for the same reason.
It’s All About the Money
The small increase in enrollment may have something to do with new admissions policies–private schools have put more effort and time into their recruiting process this year, and about 1/3 have even changed their admissions practices by accepting late applicants. Even so, most of us would agree that even the best recruitment strategies won’t sway a student to attend a school that is far out of his or her price range.
Perhaps one of the most influential decisions made by many private colleges this year was to step up to help combat the effects of the recession. Over 50% of the NAICU-surveyed private schools said their tuition increases this year were notably lower than in previous years. Seventy-seven percent said they are offering some increased amount of institutional aid, while at least 15% had added a sizable number of extra financial aid offerings.
Only One Extra Helping?
Many survey respondents feel that these changes won’t last–colleges simply don’t believe they have the funding to sustain this kind of generosity. This means that college leadership are now worried about what will happen if the recession will spill into the next admission cycle, or beyond.
Even with the current general trend of increased enrollment, some schools have been hit with a drop as high as 17%, and it is difficult to pinpoint why. I believe it could be due to these schools not being as aggressive in recruiting as some other colleges or not having the financial ability to prop up financial aid packages to get their net prices down for the coming school year. It seems that as the recession continues, only time will tell how students and their schools will cope with the changing financial picture.
All the best,
Deborah Fox
Deborah Fox is the founder of Fox College Funding®, a nationwide company that helps families find creative ways to reduce their college costs.
Photo: Harvard Red Tree by surekat
Subscribe in a reader
Subscribe by Email
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