Washington & Jefferson College seeing large spike in enrollment
Many colleges and universities across the country have seen a drop in enrollment. There are several reasons for it, but locally, Washington & Jefferson College is bucking the trend.
Around since 1781, Washington & Jefferson College has weathered wars, depressions, and countless political tides.
Lately, it seems to have overcome another challenge: a dramatic decline in enrollment. So much so, the size of the upcoming freshman class may best be described as "huge," according to one university official.
"We're thrilled to be looking forward to welcoming a class that looks to be over 600 in the fall," said Joshua Guiser, CFO, Washington & Jefferson College.
That estimate is nearly double the typical freshman enrollment.
How are they pulling it off when other schools are closing due to declining enrollment?
"I think we were fortunate to reduce tuition effectively by half," Guiser added.
School officials say the addition of a nursing program has added students as well, and while they continue to recruit students from around the world, a lot of new students are coming from around the corner.
"This past year, we introduced the Rawnsley Scholarship," Guiser said.
The scholarship enables students from Washington County, who live on campus, to attend the college tuition-free.
More students also means more student housing, and that's where the historic Washington Hotel comes into play.
"We'll have 44 rooms in the space. A mix of singles, doubles, and larger doubles, and some with premium views."
Those rooms are reserved for junior and senior students. The new housing is also hoped to bring a new vibrancy to Main Street in Washington.
"We want our students to experience all the happenings that are coming. There are a lot of businesses that are coming to downtown Washington," Guiser said.
According to officials, the new units will be ready for students to move in at the beginning of the fall semester.
