May 1 Enrollment Update

President Barnes has committed to regular updates regarding enrollment and budget decision-making. May 1 was an important date marking the nationally recognized decision date many colleges set by which students indicate their intentions by their deposit.

“Thanks to the heroic efforts of many staff and faculty across the university who participated in expanded recruitment efforts, our May 1 numbers are more encouraging than anticipated,” says Barnes.

A Few Facts

+ Incoming College of Arts & Sciences student numbers (freshmen, transfers, re-admits) are up 20 deposits compared to last year.

+ As current College of Arts & Sciences students continue to register, it appears that there will be a good retention rate of above 90 percent for the fall. However, given high graduation numbers in December 2008 and anticipated for May, the College of Arts & Sciences will still be down approximately 40 registered continuing students compared to fall 2008.

+ The number of anticipated incoming new Bethel Seminary students for fall 2009 is on track to exceed fall 2008 by more than 20 students.

+ Given the normal recruitment cycle for College of Adult & Professional Studies and Graduate School students, it’s too early to anticipate their fall enrollment.

What Does This Mean?

Another factor in the current enrollment and budget situation is that Bethel’s financial aid spending is up significantly in a concerted effort to be more competitive with other schools’ offers. “There is anecdotal evidence that this is making a difference for many students,” says Vice President for Admissions, Financial Aid, and Retention Dan Nelson. While having more optimistic enrollment numbers is a positive situation, there is a higher financial aid cost than in past years.

“I am cautiously optimistic about our May 1 enrollment numbers,” says President Barnes. “This information gives an indication that we will reach our most-likely scenario number of 2,730 students in the College of Arts & Sciences. However, in our current economic climate, I realize that this summer could bring more changes than usual as schools are increasingly competitive and as family financial situations are more volatile. It will be the 10th day of classes in the fall before we will have a complete picture of our enrollment.”