By UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
Fort Hays State University has set a 19th consecutive fall enrollment record with 15,908 students.
The increases are due to innovative efforts the university has implemented to meet the needs of rural Kansans and the state’s burgeoning Hispanic population. These efforts contributed directly to the university’s attainment of a 76-percent retention rate – the highest in university history – among last year’s first-time, full-time, freshman students who returned for the fall term.
The totals are 13,128 undergraduate students and 2,780 graduate students. Kansans make up 8,048 of the total enrollment.
“Our history and mission at Fort Hays State has always been focused on providing access to a high-quality education, especially for rural Kansans,” said FHSU President Tisa Mason.
“Nineteen consecutive years of enrollment growth is not a coincidence,” she said. “It is a result of hard work and creativity in designing educational programs that meet the needs of students – programs that will provide them with the foundation of success in their chosen careers.”
The numbers reflect the success of several FHSU initiatives and programs aimed at providing access to specific student populations including the First-Year Experience and learning communities.
Another program that is unique to FHSU is the Hispanic College Institute for students of Hispanic and Latino heritage. The institute attracts primarily first-generation, high school students to a comprehensive introduction to college life that includes training in practical matters like applying for financial aid and scholarships, leadership, self-presentation, resume building, and other skills.
Other programs contributing to FHSU’s enrollment growth and retention success include articulation agreements with community colleges and vocational colleges to smooth the transfer of students and credits; new programs such as the Associate of Applied Science in technology and leadership for service members and veterans; online and cohort programs aimed specifically at rural populations, such as the Transition to Teaching program and a new MSE for elementary education teachers; and others.
A significant indicator of FHSU’s commitment to rural students and students who cannot afford to leave home and job to attend college full time is the fact that more than 60 percent (9,597) of the university’s graduate and undergraduate enrollment is composed of part-time students.
Another driver behind the university’s enrollment and retention successes this year is found in the growing recognition the university continues to earn for quality and value, including a second consecutive top-10 national ranking by Washington Monthly Magazine in the category of service to adult learners (25 and older).
FHSU’s online programs also recently earned the United States Distance Learning Association’s Quality Certification, joining only five other institutions in the United States who have met the USDLA’s rigorous, nearly 120-point quality standards.
Total on-campus enrollment at FHSU is 4,486. The total online enrollment is 11,422.
For more information, contact Chief Communications Officer Scott Cason at sacason@fhsu.edu or (785) 628-4208.