Undergraduate enrollment drops 5% for first-year students
Data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows that the decline is not limited to higher education; enrollment among high school graduates has also dropped by 6% this year.
College students studying
According to data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, first-year college enrollment saw a troubling decline of more than 5% this year. This comes despite the Biden Administration’s ongoing efforts to forgive student loans, which appear to offer little incentive for young people to pursue higher education.
The Center's Executive Director Doug Shapiro called these results "startling" and stressed that it marks the first decline since the sharp drop in 2020, when freshman enrollment fell by nearly 10%.
One notable change is the total number of college students, which is beginning to stabilize, partly due to an increase in continuing or returning students.
Enrollment among high school graduates is down 6%
The report also highlights a 6% decline in enrollment among high school graduates. Experts suggest that delays in the implementation of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) have directly impacted enrollment numbers.
Bill De Baun, senior director of the National College Attainment Network, stated, "This confirms the close relationship between FAFSA completion and college enrollment."
Additionally, this decline may reflect growing public distrust of higher education. A Gallup poll found that only 36% of Americans have high confidence in these institutions, a significant drop from 57% less than a decade ago.
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