University Of Mobile Enrolls Largest Freshman Class In 7 Years

Mobile AL

06 September, 2022

11:05 PM

Description

Press release from the University of Mobile: September 6, 2022 MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Mobile enrolled its largest freshman class in seven years and residence halls are near capacity as the Fall 2022 semester gets underway at the Christ-centered university. The university enrolled 273 first-time freshmen, making this the largest influx of new freshmen since 2015. Currently, 622 students live in residence halls the ranking site Niche rates as the #1 Best Dorms in Alabama. In addition, UM's new Associate Degree in Nursing program met its goal of 30 students for its first class. The five-semester nursing degree program aims to address the local and national nursing shortage by preparing nursing students to enter the workforce quickly. University of Mobile President Lonnie Burnett said new scholarships and partnerships contributed to the university's gain in new student enrollment, an area that nationally has shown a decline. Burnett said the university worked with donors to develop the LIFT Scholarship (Learning Investments for Tomorrow) for new students from a five-county area who have financial need. The LIFT Scholarship fills a gap between the cost of tuition and the amount covered by financial aid and scholarships. New partnerships created this year with Infirmary Health and Springhill Medical Center provided new scholarships for School of Nursing students earning the Associate Degree in Nursing and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing. "Our corporate partners and donors see the University of Mobile and the Christian higher education we offer as an excellent investment in our community. We are continuing to develop new partnerships that will expand opportunities for even more students," Burnett said. Charity Wittner, vice president for student affairs, said preliminary census figures show that UM mirrored national trends in some areas, while bucking trends in others. "We went into the fall following national trends and anticipating anywhere from a 4-to-7% decline in new students. We ended up being 8% higher in new student enrollment for our traditional on-ground program," Wittner said. Overall, preliminary census numbers show that UM was part of a national trend as total enrollment of 1,851 for Fall 2022 fell 3% below Fall 2021's total of 1,911. Undergraduate enrollment for online programs increased by 18%, while enrollment declined for graduate programs. Final enrollment numbers are not yet available for dual enrollment and early enrollment, but officials expect a slight decline from last year. This press release was produced by the University of Mobile. The views expressed here are the author's own.