More first-year students and transfer students are enrolling into the three campuses of Commonwealth University, exceeding the expectations of the admissions team. Will this trend hold up through the spring semester?

The difference in recruitment this year is the admission application released earlier in the summer than in previous years making time for an admission decision faster.

As of now, Commonwealth University has 377 deposited first year students and 19 transfer deposits. The Bloomsburg campus goal for 2024 first-year student applications is 7,557, and more specifically, the 2024 goal for the Commonwealth University is 12,600. 

Early enrollment numbers for next year begin to fill up, and exceed the expectations of administration and admissions workers. For the fall 2024 semester, the Commonwealth University new student enrollment goals are 2,600 first year students and 480 transfer students, says Maramonne Houseknecht, the Director of Admissions for Commonwealth University- Bloomsburg.

New first year students have until May 1^st to pay their enrollment deposit, and new transfer students have until July 1^st. Currently, the three campuses are in the early stages of the enrollment funnel, and the numbers fluctuate each week until the deposit deadline.

As for each campus, the numbers are ranging with the Bloomsburg campus having the most enrollments. The Bloomsburg campus has 240 first-year enrollments and 13 transfers.

Lock Haven has near one hundred and 2 transfers. The Mansfield campus has fifty first-year deposits and 3 transfers. The lowest ranking number belongs to the Clearfield campus, a smaller satellite campus, with 3 first year deposits and 1 transfer.

She continued to share that there have been decreases or fluctuations in the proportion of high school graduates nationwide, in Pennsylvania, and among those enrolled in traditional colleges and universities, which may continue to be a constant issue in the next ten years.

From the standpoint of admissions, the pandemic affected enrollment in recent years because students and supporters were worried about their safety, the expense of college, and the value of a college education. Enrollment numbers for newly admitted students have somewhat recovered since the pandemic, says Houseknecht, coinciding with an increase in student involvement.

Students and their supporters continue to be concerned about affordability in the recent change of tuitions at different universities. “Between our merit scholarship strategy, tuition being frozen by PASSHE for a 5^th year, that affordability can be within reach to earn a degree”, noted Houseknect. The recruitment team visits around sixty to eighty high schools each year hosting events and establishing relationships along with welcoming visitors to the campuses to various showcasing days.