MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Enrollment numbers are showing encouraging signs of improvement at Vermont State University.
VTSU officials report that total university enrollment is trending at about 5% over last year, including a 14% increase in the number of new students compared to fall 2023, many of them online students.
It comes after the Vermont State College System merged last summer to form VTSU, slashing programs and jobs, in an effort to address millions in debt and declining enrollment.
“This is very good news for our growing university as we enter just our second year and we are humbled that so many more students are giving VTSU consideration,” VTSU president David Bergh said in a statement. “Our students have the opportunity with rolling admissions to make decisions over the summer, so I expect even more of those accepted students to commit to VTSU in the coming months. We are working hard to make our case to them, showing them that VTSU is a growing community of creative, active and engaged learners and a wonderful place to get your degree or certificate.”
Officials say the news was also encouraging considering the Free Application for Federal Student Aid “debacle” that delayed college decisions this spring.
VTSU officials say the Class of 2028 represents 35 states and 11 countries, with students hailing from as far away as Florida to California and Italy to Japan. Out-of-state student enrollment is up 13% across all VTSU campuses. THey say 19% of the new class identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) and 56% are first-generation college students.