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Students gather on the University Center mall during Activity Fair Day on Aug. 27. There is a 2.6% annual increase for undergrad and graduate enrollment this fall.<\/p>\n
File photo \/ Elvis Martinez-Cartagena<\/a><\/p>\n A group of UTA leaders spent 18 months fine-tuning strategies to achieve the largest freshman class in university history.<\/p>\n Local recruitment, financial aid, housing and academic success factor into their planning. They also keep a close eye on policies impacting international and undocumented students.<\/p>\n Managing enrollment isn\u2019t just about number crunching. It\u2019s a job focused on looking years ahead while asking current students what works. However, the task is daunting as federal officials change rules affecting higher education.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot do what we do alone,\u201d said Luisa Havens Gerardo, vice president for the Division of Enrollment Management.<\/p>\n UTA has 42,710 undergrad and graduate students this fall, a 2.6% annual increase. The university set a new record for the largest freshman class in its history \u2014 almost two-thirds of whom come from within about 40 miles \u2014 and also achieved a first-year retention rate of more than 78%.<\/p>\n The strategies<\/strong><\/p>\n UTA doesn\u2019t just strategize around high school graduates for enrollment.<\/p>\n Havens Gerardo said her team pays attention to the number of eighth graders entering high school to prepare for enrollment fluctuations. Also, fewer traditional students may mean attracting adults to complete their college degrees.<\/p>\n It\u2019s all about opportunity, she said.<\/p>\n One of UTA\u2019s selling points is its Research 1 designation from the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education recognizing the highest level of research activity, Havens Gerardo said.<\/p>\n Biomedical engineering freshman Anushka Mahat, an international student from Nepal, said she transferred from the University of Idaho to UTA because her major wasn\u2019t offered there. So far, she is pleased with UTA\u2019s tuition and student club culture.<\/p>\n \u201cThe place itself, it\u2019s very diverse,\u201d Mahat said. \u201cIdaho is very quiet place, and this is kind of my vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n More than a third of UTA\u2019s students are Hispanic, followed by white, Black and Asian students.<\/p>\n To improve retention, UTA focuses on the diverse needs of its students, monitoring grades and providing targeted academic support, said Ashley Purgason, vice provost for the Division of Student Success.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes it might mean that the student wants to consider studying something different,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd sometimes it might mean that they just need a little bit of guidance on how to navigate this degree plan they\u2019re in.\u201d<\/p>\n The university also provides help around financial support.\u00a0UTA recently marketed a new program called Financially Fit to students and families in both English and Spanish, focusing on payment plans, housing and budgeting tuition and fees, said Ehren Wixson, assistant vice president of the Division of Business Affairs.<\/p>\n Funding challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n UTA expanded its Blaze Forward program to cover full tuition and mandatory fees for families earning up to $100,000, helping 60% of undergraduate students.<\/p>\n Biology junior Jenny Fernandez said most of her tuition is covered by grants and outside scholarships. She chose UTA because of its proximity to her family.<\/p>\n \u201cUTA has the classes I need for what I want to pursue later in life, which is something in the dental field,\u201d Fernandez said.<\/p>\n The UT System\u2019s Promise Plus program provided UTA about $11 million for the Blaze Forward program, which only covered about 900 students, said Karen Krause, executive director of financial aid, scholarships and veterans benefits processing. Other sources of funding came from grants and other resources.<\/p>\n Decline in international, undocumented students<\/strong><\/p>\n In June, Texas ended a law<\/a>\u00a0allowing undocumented students to receive in-state tuition. As the lawsuit happened in the summer, UTA was forced to quickly navigate the challenges of supporting impacted students but ultimately didn\u2019t have enough time to guide them toward outside scholarships or to plan other assistance, Krause said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve done the very best we can,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The university enrolled more than 900 fewer international students, going from 5,569 last fall to 4,667 this semester. While international students are eligible for external scholarships at UTA, they typically pay out-of-state or nonresident tuition and fees \u2014 a large source of income for the university.<\/p>\n Recent moves from the Trump administration to revoke visas<\/a>, announce a travel ban<\/a>\u00a0and halt scheduling for new visa interviews<\/a>\u00a0have led to a nationwide decline in the number of prospective students in the U.S.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really cannot right now expect to just have exactly the same goal around international students,\u201d Havens Gerardo said.<\/p>\n The university is looking to mitigate the issue through outreach to neighboring states, she said, stating that Oklahoma is an important market to entice students. Officials have also looked at California, which is reaching capacity and cannot accommodate more students.<\/p>\n \u201cThese strategies are long-term strategies, not something that you can say, \u2018Oh, we\u2019re going to replace every international students that don\u2019t come next year,\u2019\u201d Havens Gerardo said.<\/p>\n Looking ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n UTA is aware of the incoming challenges as it looks five years ahead, Havens Gerardo said.<\/p>\n She said she has been in enrollment management long enough to know the ebbs and flows of higher education, including for international students.<\/p>\n \u201cThe international student market may get better in two to three years, so you cannot abandon totally a strategy,\u201d Havens Gerardo said. \u201cYou still have to have a strategy of maintaining relationships, in maintaining presence, in having a strategy of at least brand recognition in certain areas.\u201d<\/p>\n For Krause, the changes are difficult to navigate until they happen.<\/p>\n