Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – After the first 10 days of classes, University of Illinois Springfield enrollment remains stable for Fall Semester 2024 with 4,628 students enrolled, compared to 4,661 students last year. Notably, the number of new first-year freshmen, first-time transfer students and online students increased.

One challenge affecting enrollment was the U.S. Department of Education’s delay in opening the newly overhauled Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In response, UIS hosted multiple online workshops and in-person events to assist students with the revised application process.

“We noticed a decline in FAFSA completions this year compared to previous years,” said Vickie Cook, UIS vice chancellor for enrollment and retention. “This is an issue facing higher education institutions nationwide.”

To help students pay for college, UIS recently introduced the Prairie Promise, a four-year financial aid program for Illinois residents that covers the full cost of tuition and fees for qualifying first-time, first-year undergraduate students. UIS also offers in-state tuition to out-of-state students from the St. Louis and Quad Cities areas.

Diversity at UIS continues to grow, with Hispanic student enrollment increasing by 14.2% this semester compared to fall 2023. The number of Black or African American students grew by 8.3%, and the number of first-generation students also increased.

This semester, 262 new freshmen and 449 first-time transfer students are enrolled at UIS, both representing an increase from fall 2023.

Online enrollment saw a 3.9% increase, with 1,967 online majors this fall, up from 1,893 in fall 2023. More than 83.2% of UIS students take at least one online course, with online learners residing in 43 states, 88 Illinois counties and 19 foreign countries.

Illinois residents make up 67.9% of the student body, with over 3,100 Illinois students enrolled. International students represent 20.7% of the total enrollment, with 957 students, primarily from India, Nigeria and Ghana.

The number of undergraduate students dropped slightly, from 2,342 in fall 2023 to 2,309 in fall 2024. Graduate enrollment remains unchanged at 2,319 students