To Increase Enrollment

Hi There!

This blog says to increase enrollment. I am referring to increasing the number of enrollees for degree programs among educational institutions. This has been currently the thrust of most colleges and universities here in Cebu.

Why is there a need for enrollment to increase? Public institutions are not affected by this. They are subsidized by the either the National or local governments. This much focuses on private institutions. It's a fact, that a high number of enrolled students is indicating a high income for the academe. A high income means a substantial increase of salary for both the teaching and non-teaching staff, and most of all, high revenues for the entities that own the institution.

High enrollment is very much determined in the freshmen level. That count can affect the population of a program for an average of 4 years(baccalaureate programs are mostly offered in 4 years). While it is an accepted fact that as the freshmen's batch decreases as it progresses to the seniors level, the decreased high number from year 1 can still be considered as high when it arrives at year 4, providing each year's down is from 5 to 10 percent.

The other effect of high enrollment? It means more teaching loads for the employed teaching staff. It assures that every faculty has to have a full load for a full timer.

Who would do the dirty job of increasing the enrollment? It is definitely the personnel who knows best, the academic staff. Though it is the administrators that gives the directive that each college should achieve a high enrollment each year.

When a college experiences a decrease for a year, it would just be a temporary setback. But when it continues to subside for years, say, 3 years and more, actions must be taken to bring back the high volume of students to come and enroll. Or else, teaching staff could be adversely affected by the continuous down trend.

The challenge....How or what to advertise as a marketing strategy to bring back the once high enrollment?

Produce board consistent top notch passers every year. Finish among the top 20 in any license exams. That's great. There's discussion though. It's great to advertise the top notch passers. But which is more important? Having top not passers yet fall low for the current batch of exam passers from national passing percentage? or get consistent in passing and above the national passing percentage?

It's already seen from others, that producing top notch passers is most effective.

So how to achieve potential top notch passers? Recruit top quality high school graduates. A fact, the rich of these prefer to enroll in expensive schools get better education there. For the less fortunate, scholarships are the best attracting factor.

There we go. Scholarships. One should have a very attractive scholarship program and incentives to attain this. Four to five yours to mold as an incentive... and when time comes, the fruit to reap is just around the bend.

That's probably quality education for some. And that's the factor parents stake the future of their child to.

Other academic institutions? Make a strong marketing tagline of showing immediate job here and abroad after graduation. While others offer low tuition fees, and perhaps no tuition fee increase.

How about an academe boasting of quality education, enjoyed high enrollment the previous years, yet recently has experienced a noticeable decrease in enrollment, has weak scholarship program, does not consistently produce top notch passers, yet mostly have achieved passing above national passing percentage? What could be their strategy to increase enrollment?

By the way, all the school types I've mentioned are equipped with highly qualified and faculty, and very good facilities.

Please share your thoughts.