UNLV’s re-enrollment rate for all full-time undergraduates from fall 2023 to spring 2024 was a record high of nearly 94%. (Photo: Hugh Jackson/Nevada Current)
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For higher education, one of the biggest challenges leftover from the pandemic years is just getting students to sign up.
In recent years enrollment at many Nevada higher education institutions, like higher education institutions nationally, was down compared to pre-pandemic levels. But at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas the tide has finally turned.
Spring enrollment for degree-seeking undergraduates at UNLV is up 3%, compared to last year. Enrollment for degree-seeking graduates this spring was even higher, as UNLV recorded a 9% increase in student enrollment compared to 2023.
The number of students who received state support to cover tuition and enroll full-time also increased by about 5%.
In total, UNLV enrolled 29,360 students, marking significant increases in undergraduate and graduate enrollment compared to the previous year, according to a report released by the Office of Decision Support.
Leadership at UNLV attributed the record-breaking milestone to steady and strategic long-term investments in recruiting initiatives that built substantial growth in enrollment during the fall semester. Although not a record, the university’s student enrollment in fall 2023 was near the all-time high.
UNLV’s Office of Decision Support reports that the re-enrollment rate for all full-time undergraduates from fall 2023 to spring 2024 was a record high of nearly 94%, while the rate for the first-time, full-time cohort was 92%.
Barb Roberts, UNLV’s associate vice president for Enrollment Management, noted the overall enrollment count largely depends on retaining students over the semesters.
“We had the largest spring enrollment we’ve ever had. We had a very high retention rate for all students from fall to spring, which was super important not only for the university, but also for our students in terms of progression,” Roberts said in a campus news statement.
Officials at UNLV also credited their record enrollment to a restructured UNLV financial aid office, including the implementation of UNLV Rebel EDGE, a program that combines federal, state, and institutional aid to offer low-income full-time students free tuition and fees for up to 15 credits, along with a $1,000 annual book stipend.
Financial aid plays a critical role in student retention, and UNLV’s efforts to ensure students in need have their tuition completely covered have directly impacted student retention, Roberts said.
The university has also invested in student outreach specialists to assist students who’ve been flagged as having at least three characteristics typically associated with dropping out of college. Characteristics include things like Pell grant eligibility, being a first-generation college student, or graduating from a low-performing high school in Nevada.
The post UNLV sees record enrollment after pandemic-era declines appeared first on Nevada Current.
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Author: Jeniffer Solis
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