Welcome to the Business Journal Archives
Search for articles below, or continue to the all new BusinessJournalDaily.com now.
Search
YSU Enrollment Down 6.5% from 2013 Fall Semester
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Classes begin today at Youngstown State University with first-day enrollment down 6.5% from the fall 2013 semester.
YSU reported this morning that 12,337 students are registered for classes. By comparison, in the fall 2010 semester, 15,194 students enrolled in YSU. Enrollment numbers are not official until the 15th day of the semester.
Fewer students means less revenue to fund school operations. State allocations and tuition revenue have decreased by a combined $19.5 million over the last three years, and those losses could increase to $22 million next year, YSU said in June when it announced $3.8 million in budget cuts (READ STORY).
While it is the fourth consecutive year that enrollment has declined, Gary Swegan, associate vice president for enrollment planning and management, said there are several positive indicators that enrollment of new students will be on the rise again next fall semester, according to a news release from YSU. These include higher freshman retention, stronger early freshmen applications, enhanced and expanded scholarship opportunities and increased campus visit programs.
In addition, to help boost enrollment through direct marketing student recruitment, YSU has employed the services of Royall & Company, based in Richmond, Va. “We are very optimistic that the pieces are in place for enrollment growth and that we are poised for sustained success,” Swegan said.
In announcing preliminary fall enrollment, YSU touted the fact that the incoming class of 1,717 freshmen students boasts an average ACT test score of 21.05 and a high school grade point average of 3.12, both of which are the highest at any time in the university’s history.
The improvement in the freshman class is part of a new strategic approach that focuses on admitting students who are better prepared for success at the college level, YSU said. The transition is in response to new state funding formulas that emphasizes student outcomes and also in response to Eastern Gateway Community College’s existence in Youngstown.
“We are committed more than ever to enrolling students who are college-ready and who are going to experience success in a university setting and move along to graduation in a timely fashion,” said Swegan.
SOURCE: YSU News Center.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
CLICK HERE to subscribe to our free daily email headlines and to our twice-monthly print edition