Fresno Pacific enrollment up 11% to new record

Published online on Thursday, Oct. 01, 2009

A streamlined admission process and more financial aid have helped boost Fresno Pacific University to record enrollment this fall, officials said.

Enrollment stands at 2,649 students -- 272 more than last year, an increase of 11%, said Stephen Varvis, vice president for enrollment management at the Mennonite Brethren-affiliated university in southeast Fresno.

Officials aimed to enroll about 2,500 students this fall but were happy to surpass that goal. Varvis attributed the upswing more to on-campus efforts than to conditions at local public campuses, which have had to limit enrollments and cut class sections because of declining state revenues.

Varvis said officials identified only a few dozen new students who came to Fresno Pacific after they couldn't find space at public campuses.

Fresno Pacific accepted students up to the first week of school in August, with campus staff and faculty pushing to quickly evaluate applications and provide academic counseling, he said. The process took as little as a week.

"Everyone just really worked on it to make sure there were no holdups," he said.

A boost in financial aid and a new four-year graduation guarantee also brought in students, Varvis said. Fresno Pacific guarantees that undergraduates who stay on track academically and pay their fees will be able to get the classes they need to graduate in four years.

One area of growth is the bachelor's degree completion program aimed at working adults. Enrollment in the roughly 18-month program, which offers night classes, is up more than 200 students from last fall.

"We did have a number of students there who felt like they couldn't do it economically last year, but could this year," Varvis said. The 943 students now enrolled is a record.

Christina Corona, 25, of Fresno started the program this fall. She graduated from Fresno City College in May and is working toward a liberal arts degree and teaching credential.

She prefers the small-campus atmosphere at Fresno Pacific, and also said that the schedule -- and program -- suits her needs.

"Especially with our economy, I can still work full time and go to school," Corona said.

Varvis said the record surge of students has provided stability for the university's nearly $35 million budget. Last year, the poor economy and slipping enrollment prompted layoffs.