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College affordability has always been a concern for many incoming students, but changes to the federal FAFSA form this year added a new level of anxiety. The newly restructured financial aid office took a proactive approach to get incoming students the information they needed to make their college decision faster. Over the last five years, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ has increased institutional aid to students by more than 15%. Loan debt for 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ students, meanwhile, has decreased over the previous five years.

For the first time in the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ hockey program, the 2023-24 Skatin’ Rebels played for a national championship after a 25-6-2 regular season and took second overall. The team earned two First Team All Tournament Awards, two Second Team All Tournament Awards, and two Honorable Mention All Tournament Awards.

Nevada persistently ranks at the bottom in the country for overall access to mental health services. 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ faculty are developing initiatives to change this unacceptable situation. The statewide BeHERE NV initiative, for example, will recruit, educate, and retain mental health practitioners across the state, with the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ serving as its administrative hub. And 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ PRACTICE Clinic is implementing a strategic plan to unite graduate mental and behavioral training programs for the greatest impact.

51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ teams have removed barriers, such as automatic enrollment holds and late fees, that frustrated students in the past. Increased collaboration across departments and targeted communication, via phone calls, emails, and texts, also ensure students get the support they need without overwhelming them. 

For the third consecutive season, the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Lady Rebels have won the Mountain West Basketball Championship and the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ is the first Mountain West women’s team to win both titles three seasons in a row. The Lady Rebels are making their 11th NCAA tournament appearance in program history and fourth since joining the Mountain West in 1999.

With funding from the governor's office, the College of Engineering StepUp & StartUp program has connected 50 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ students with 24 local tech companies for competitively paid internships. Apart from gaining valuable experience, the program offers a distinct advantage: the chance for students to make a significant impact during their internship — a unique benefit from the dynamic setting of a small company or startup.

In less than two years, the College of Education’s NV|Forward program has become the largest apprenticeship effort in the nation and has added 400 teachers to Nevada’s workforce. The program for working professionals helps them pursue their degrees and licensure at little to no cost while still earning a salary. And after they graduate, the program provides extensive coaching and professional development to retain them in the profession.

Within two years, Project Wellness has grown from an idea of like-minded student leaders into one of the university’s largest student organizations. The initiative, guided by the premise of students helping students, is quickly becoming a national model for student-led mental health programming. The group is collaborating with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities — 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s institution accrediting agency — to replicate its effectiveness in other universities.