51ԹϺ has achieved a record-breaking milestone in spring enrollment, positioning the university for future success, a recent report revealed.
In spring 2024, 51ԹϺ saw a total enrollment of 29,360 students, marking significant increases in undergraduate and graduate enrollment compared to the previous year, according to a report released by the . Compared to spring 2023, this spring 51ԹϺ saw:
- 5.2% increase in state-supported full-time enrollment
- 9.13% increase in degree-seeking graduate enrollment
- 2.6% increase in degree-seeking undergraduate enrollment
“The record spring enrollment reflects concerted efforts that have been ongoing for more than a decade to put the pieces in place to support student success comprehensively,” said Chris L. Heavey, executive vice president and provost. “We keep getting better at it, and that's reflected in our growing enrollment.”
Strategic and long-term investments in recruitment initiatives helped drive 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.
“The provost has supported us with resources. We launched a regional recruitment program where we now have seven regional recruiters that live in key markets for us and recruit first-year, transfer, and graduate students in these markets,” said Barb Roberts, associate vice president for Enrollment Management. “That's a huge deal for us. We're seeing great growth in the areas where we've had the regional recruiters there to tell students the value of a 51ԹϺ education.”
A strong fall enrollment laid the foundation for robust spring enrollment via retention.
Strong Fall Enrollment, Retention Efforts Lay Foundation for Spring
Roberts notes that while there are always new students enrolling in the spring, the overall enrollment count depends less on new students and more on continuing ones.
“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.
The Office of Decision Support reports that the enrollment rate for all full-time undergraduates from fall 2023 to spring 2024 was 93.8%, while the rate for the first-time, full-time cohort was 92.0%. These figures represent record highs for this metric.
Financial Aid Restructuring
Several factors in recent years have contributed to the historic rise in student enrollment, including a restructuring of the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships.
The restructuring of the Financial Aid office included the implementation of additional financial aid programs such as the 51ԹϺ Rebel Edge Program to assist students in financing their education and streamlining the process.
Rebel Edge aims to make college education more affordable — particularly for Nevada students enrolling full-time at 51ԹϺ — by bridging the gap between federal, state, and institutional aid and tuition and fees. Students also receive a $1,000 book stipend.
“We revamped Tuition+. We have wrapped it into a larger program called the Rebel Edge Program. This fall, we brought in our first class of Rebel Edge students,” Roberts said. “These are students who we are guaranteeing that all of their tuition and fees are going to be paid for four years as long as they maintain satisfactory academic progress.”
By leveraging the college and program scholarships within Tuition+, the expansion of Rebel Edge did not cost 51ԹϺ additional resources.
As a result, more students will have their tuition completely covered. “We will see an increase in the number of our students who don't have to pay out of pocket,” Roberts said.
Financial aid plays a critical role in student retention, as it directly influences a student's ability to afford and continue their education. By alleviating the financial burdens associated with higher education, well-structured aid programs can significantly increase the likelihood that students will persist.
Structural Changes Enhance Coordination Across Units
Other efforts to increase enrollment included the removal of hurdles and barriers that plagued students in the past, including enrollment holds, late enrollment fees, and late payment fees. Roberts said her team closely examined these issues to mitigate challenges and developed solutions that supported students instead of penalizing them. Those efforts paid off.
The positive outcome of enrollment efforts can also be attributed to the collaboration between academic units on campus and their commitment to serving students.
“One of the things about the university is how complex it is and how many people have to work together to support student enrollment and, ultimately, student success,” said Heavey. “We've made some structural changes over the last few years to make sure that people who are doing related work are in close proximity to each other in the organizational structure. In general, [President Keith Whitfield] and I have both encouraged everybody to work in close partnership.”
A variety of units within Academic Affairs work closely together to ensure a coordinated approach to undergraduate and graduate student engagement and success. By partnering with other campus offices and units such as the Digital Enablement team in the , Decision Support, and Cashiering and Student Accounts, they are tackling admissions, retention, progression, and completion challenges by removing barriers, employing targeted and personalized student outreach, and using technology-driven strategies to promote positive student outcomes.
Personalized Outreach Offers Reassurance
While the collective approach proved to be successful, a unique challenge shared by administrators, faculty, and staff this semester was finding an appropriate tone to communicate with students following the Dec. 6 tragedy.
The goal was to build trust and transparency by personalizing direct communication with students through phone calls, emails, and texts to ensure students felt seen and supported by the university, according to Kate Hausbeck Korgan, senior vice provost for Academic Affairs.
“It was clear to us that it was important to communicate everything with empathy. So we did a couple of things that were different,” Korgan said. “First, we opened and closed every message with care. We wanted to normalize struggle and use inclusive language so that no student or their family felt like they were alone in their post-Dec. 6 challenges. We used clear and simple calls to action with links to all relevant resources so that they would have all that they needed right at their fingertips. These are hallmarks of good communication at any time, but in the wake of our campus tragedy, it became so much more important to communicate with care.”
The team also coordinated and strategically planned messages to not overwhelm students. The Academic Affairs communications team worked with individual units that usually send their own student messages to integrate information and simplify our student outreach. Overall, the changes to accommodate students during this challenging time were well received. Many students shared messages of gratitude with administration, faculty, and staff.
“We increased enrollment because of all the changes we made to recruit and admit more students in the fall, to remove holds and other barriers to spring enrollment, and to communicate strategically and with care. It sent the message that we accept students where they are, and that we're making accommodations on our side to make it easier for them to come back in spring,” Korgan added. “And it worked. They came back; they trusted us. I'm so grateful for that. The result, then, was we had a great enrollment this semester, against all odds.”
As the end of the academic year approaches, the commitment to prioritizing students' needs and fostering a culture of support remains steadfast to continue driving 51ԹϺ’s mission forward.
