Una Sees Record Number Of Freshmen And Transfers

Sep. 08, 2009

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@tootsierocha.com, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - The University of North Alabama campus is a bustling place this fall as the university enrolls a record number of freshman and transfer students. UNA is enrolling 1,131 freshmen, up from 1,081 a year ago, and 677 transfers, up from 624 last year.

Overall enrollment is 7,243, up from 7,188 in fall 2008. Undergraduate enrollment is a record 6,179, and graduate enrollment is at 1,064. "We're proud that so many new students have made UNA their college choice," said Dr. William G. Cale, UNA president. "UNA offers a first-rate education, so it's wonderful to see this many students coming to us for that kind of a college experience." Dr. Sue Wilson, dean of enrollment services, attributed the increased number of new students to a variety of factors, including the economy, marketing and scholarships. "Students are certainly looking for more affordable college options these days, and UNA has really stood out publicly in recent months," she said. "Our admissions staff has done an excellent job, we've had great marketing for the university this past year, and so more and more students are seeing the name of UNA and wanting to learn more about us. When they come and visit, they love what they see." Cale added that, as college costs are increasing everywhere these days, the escalated number of UNA scholarships is making UNA more affordable for many students. UNA awarded more than $3 million in scholarships this past year, compared to about $2.3 million in 2007-08. "Most of these new scholarship awards have been through private giving to the university," Cale said. "Our alumni and friends want to make the UNA experience an affordable option for these students." While UNA's undergraduate enrollment is at a record high - up from 5,901 last year to 6,179 this fall - graduate student numbers are slightly down. Graduate enrollment is at 1,064, down from last year's 1,287. "We very much expected this drop in graduate student numbers due to tougher admission standards in the MBA program. It's more challenging to gain admission to that program this year," Wilson said. Enrollment in the MBA program this year is 643, down from 871 in fall 2008. "We are very pleased with this year's enrollment at UNA," Cale said. "Our enrollment reflects that more students are looking to UNA for an excellent college experience. It also reflects that the university is raising the bar, increasing standards of quality for incoming students."

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: tootsierocha.com and tootsierocha.com/unaworks/.