Applications to Admissions: The HBCU Enrollment Wave
Written By: Elainey Bass
There are many qualities that attract prospective students to HBCUs. It could be the institution's rich legacy, culture, and environment, or it could be the popularity, location, and fun parties. The reasons may be similar or different amongst the new wave of college students, but one thing is for certain: every year HBCUs see an influx in applications and admissions. However, with this surge in interest comes new challenges that our institutions may face regarding housing, teacher to student ratio, and financial situations that we aren't exposed to. This year alone, many HBCUs have seen a record breaking number of students for this academic year. Just how record breaking are we talking?
Clark Atlanta University received 46,000 applications this school year. This number is more than the number of students that applied to the University of Georgia and a 6% increase from last year. With this high number of applications, comes disappointment for many students. However, CAU is one of eleven HBCUs to have an endowment of over $100 million. Because of this, enrollment was able to be up to 4,200 students this year, with only 1,200 of those spots going to incoming freshmen. The school’s president, Dr George T. French stated that “The average GPA of incoming students is 3.71. Five years ago it was 2.8. The brand is strong. Our retention and graduation rates are increasing. That’s what these numbers are indicators of.” Because of this, one can imagine how much the school will have to adjust this year in regards to hiring additional faculty and upkeeping campus facilities. But, Clark Atlanta isn't the only HBCU seeing major growth amongst the student body.
Johnson C. Smith University, located in Charlotte, hit a record breaking 1,378 enrolled students for the fall semester. This is a 25% increase from last year, where the institution had 1,102 enrolled students. However, because of the delay and inconsistency of the FAFSA this year, 300 of their students are facing financial issues when it comes to paying for out-of-pocket costs. To combat this, the school has created an emergency fund to assist students with the unexpected costs. JCSU is hoping to raise at least $250,000 to get their students financially enrolled by August 30th. While this may seem like a long shot, the school recognizes that some students may have higher balances than others and plans to implement payment plans for families.
To no surprise, Howard University also saw an increase of student applicants by 12%. With this increase, the school saw a record breaking 37,000 applicants for the incoming freshman class.
While the numbers usually stay around the same area, HU plans to accept more students over the years through their current “Howard Forward” plan. But for now, the school had to face around a 4% decrease in acceptance rates this year, making the applicant pool even more competitive. Maybe Howard has Kamala to thank for the increase in applicants?