UNC Asheville sees an increase in Spring 2025 semester enrollment, improvements in student retention

Press release from UNC Asheville: 

UNC Asheville continues to see increases in enrollment, despite the challenges presented by Helene this past fall.

The University’s student headcount for the Spring 2025 semester is 2,801, an increase of 1.9 percent compared to Spring 2024 and an increase of 4.7 percent from Spring 2023. Of that total, 2,594 are continuing and returning degree-seeking students,120 are new degree-seeking students, and 87 are non-degree seeking.

This success was aided by financial assistance provided to students in the wake of Helene. With support from the North Carolina General Assembly, UNC Asheville offered grants for spring semester tuition that covered up to the full cost of in-state tuition, $2,061.

UNC Asheville also offered two financial aid grants for those who experienced hardship as a result of Helene, which together offered a combined total of up to $3,500 in emergency aid.

This continued increase in enrollment is evidence of a series of recruitment initiatives that stabilized student enrollment in Spring 2024, ending a 7-year decline, and in Fall 2024, UNC Asheville welcomed its third-largest class.

“These successes are indicative of the years of behind-the-scenes work done to right the ship, even before it was affected by Helene,” said Chancellor Kimberly van Noort. “I can’t say enough about everyone’s efforts — faculty and staff — both in recruiting our students and supporting them through one of the most difficult challenges our University and region have ever faced.”

Initiatives include the expansion of Access Asheville, the University’s ground-breaking program that makes an exceptional, transformative education attainable for low- and middle-income families. It is now available to families with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $90,000 and also includes the four states bordering North Carolina: Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Marcio Moreno, associate vice chancellor admissions and financial aid, said he is incredibly proud of the work his team has accomplished, and is excited about the plans they have on the horizon.

“We are partnering with the Department of Public Instruction to make the application process easier and quicker for students who traditionally do not apply to college,” Moreno said. “Also, we are piloting a direct admission program for eligible out-of-state students and implementing an initiative that utilizes a redirection pool, which encourages students who were not accepted to other schools to apply here.”

The retention rate of new first-time students from the Fall to Spring semester was 92.8 percent. This rate is an improvement over the five-year average and the highest the University has seen since Fall 2015. According to Jeff Konz, director of institutional research, this speaks to a larger effort to reverse enrollment decline and improve retention.

“While our post-Helene academic policies may have had a temporary positive impact on retention,” Konz said, “there are many, many other things that we’re doing right to support students and to keep them at UNC Asheville.”

Regine Criser, director of student success said that teams across campus helped provide support ranging from mental health support, resources for learning online, financial aid guidance, to providing students with access to laptops, wifi, and work locations.

“We have put a lot of effort over the past few years to establish a student success ecosystem that spans across divisions and involves faculty and staff as well as an extensive peer support network,” Criser said. “Allowing students back on campus last semester, faculty offering synchronous zoom meetings and drop-ins while also providing students with asynchronous options, student support services being available in person and remotely all ensured that we were able to serve our students even while they were dispersed and navigating the impacts of Helene.”