[ad_1]
Despite waning confidence in higher education’s viability, Hampton University is enjoying an uptick in enrollment. This Fall, the university will welcome a freshman class of 1,292* students – a 39% increase from the 2022-2023 academic year, per a news release shared with ESSENCE.
“Our goal was 1,200 [incoming students],” said University Dean of Admissions, Angela Nixon Boyd, in a statement. “We surpassed the goal and have now had to waitlist students.” Qualified applicants who would have otherwise received an acceptance letter are now being held on a waitlist. If an admitted student changes their mind, the admissions team will refer to the waitlist on a first come, first served basis to fill any openings for the upcoming school year. The waitlist currently sits at a hefty 1,152*.”
This is counter to decreased enthusiasm from teens and parents alike around the value of college considering its high tuition cost and a gloomy workforce outlook.
As ESSENCE previously reported, a recent poll conducted by Gallup showed 46% of parents said they would prefer their child go after something other than a college, mostly because of finances. A little over one-third of the surveyed said college was too expensive. What’s more, Bloomberg pointed out tht only 56% of adults under age 30 who went to college said the benefits of their education outweighed the costs.
Per the National Student Clearinghouse, there was a 4.7% drop from the year prior, translating to 662,000 fewer students registered in spring 2022.
In 1980, college costed $10,231 a year. This includes tuition, fees, room and board. 40 years later, there’s been a 180%, with the average total cost sitting at $28,775 per year.
This can be traced to the uptick in student loan debt, which is at $1.75 trillion according to Nerdwallet.
A student, on average borrows up to $30,030 for a bachelor’s degree at a non-private college according to the Education Data Initiative.
Despite this, incoming Hampton University freshmen have high hopes about their post-graduate careers.
“Admitted students took to social media to announce their college decision, sharing unique videos and photos in a viral storm that lasted days and caused engagement to skyrocket a whopping 351%,” per a statement from the school.”
Article continues after video.
Congratulations to all the Pirates of Hampton University!
[ad_2]
Source link
