ELCA College Enrollment Rising

ELCA COLLEGE ENROLLMENT RISING

Enrollment figures are rising for the 28 colleges and universities of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In the fall of 1996 full-time
enrollment grew by 0.6 percent from 44,036 to 44,301. This gain of 265
students takes into account the enrollment at Upsala College, East
Orange, N.J., before it closed in 1995. Seventeen of the 28 institutions
saw their totals rise. Part-time enrollment continued a decline which
began in 1992, dropping by 4.2 percent from 8,369 to 8,019. ?It is not
unusual for part-time enrollment to decline during periods when the
economy is strong, particularly at community colleges,? said James M.
Unglaube, ELCA director for colleges and universities. ?It is difficult to
know if the same is true with the ELCA colleges and universities,? he
said. The number of full-time American students of color rose by 7.8
percent from 3,675 to 3,960. These students now comprise 8.9 percent
of the total full-time enrollment. ?This figure is only slightly below the
number when Upsala College was still operating, where two-thirds of
the students were in this category,? said Unglaube. At ten ELCA
institutions the total of American students of color now exceeds 10
percent of the total full-time enrollment. The enrollment of full-time
international students declined for the fifth straight year, falling from
1,304 to 1,282, a decline of 1.7 percent. The total now represents 2.9
percent of total full-time enrollment. ?Although the colleges and
universities continue to enroll many such students and assist many of
them with significant amounts of student financial aid, these resources
are more and more difficult to identify,? said Unglaube.