Aquinas College in Michigan Enrolls Largest Class Since 2018

John W. Dysart
President
The Dysart Group

It’s an extremely challenging recruitment market for presidents, administrators and enrollment managers.  Demographics are a real obstacle, support for federal and state financial aid has stagnated, and colleges and universities are folding at an alarming pace.

The enrollment team at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan experienced a significant decline in enrollment over the previous seven years.  The Dysart Group partnered with the College this past cycle to implement a new recruitment and financial aid plan.

• The entire admission process was stream-lined for greater efficiency and transparency for prospective students and families.
• We reduced travel for the admission counselors to allow better focus on yield.
• A communication plan was introduced that included systematic outreach via telephone, email, text, AI and in-person meetings.
• The institutional scholarship program was revamped for better targeting and simplification.
• A new financial aid award policy was created to control institutional aid expenditures and more effectively meet financial need.

The immediate outcomes in the first year of implementation are impressive:

• First-year applications for admission increased by 18% and grew to the largest total in history.
• Applications from transfer students increased by 18%.
• Applications from Nursing students grew by 23%.
• First-year deposits increased by 41%.
• Transfer deposits soared by 14%.
• Deposits for Nursing students grew by 23% while overall new student enrollment grew by 34%.
• The number of students living in the residence halls increased.
• The College realized a double-digit increase in the number of international students.
• In line with institutional mission, the number of new students receiving Federal Pell Grants increased by 50%.
• The new scholarship program and financial aid award policy stabilized institutional financial aid expenditures and increased net tuition revenue by more than $1,500 per newly enrolled student.

If your institution is struggling with stagnant enrollment, a declining enrollment or rising financial aid costs, like Aquinas College, and you want to turn things around, scheduling a review of your enrollment operation by an outside professional is a smart move.  The Dysart Group can identify process and strategic challenges and offer proven solutions for better outcomes.  We can offer effective strategies to increase your customer base, grow your application pool and increase new student enrollments.