The Fight for Students Intensifies Amid a Million Fewer Applications for Student Aid.

A look at the Q2 FAFSA data for award year 2015/16 suggests that student populations continue to shrink. 1,032,616 fewer applications were processed this year than last year. Although this is not a direct measure of enrollment it a close proxy. It indicates that total enrollment will continue to decline.

Table 1. FAFSA Applications

Second Quarter 2015/16 Award Year Data

11 Schools that Added the Most Applications

School 15&16 YTD Y/Y Growth School Type

BROWARD COLLEGE- DOWNTOWN CTR 41,267 24,204 Public

SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY 57,230 13,822 Private

WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY 49,489 10,798 Private

ARIZONA STATE UNIV (ALL CAMPUSES) 101,898 9,740 Public

DELAWARE TECH & CMTY CLG-TERRY 12,572 8,670 Public

UNIVERSAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE 16,729 8,643 Proprietary

UNIVERSAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE 18,300 7,805 Proprietary

UNIVERSAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE 19,250 6,924 Proprietary

KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY 40,820 5,606 Public

CHAMBERLAIN COLLEGE OF NURSING 25,442 4,185 Proprietary

GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY 57,295 4,124 Proprietary

Even so some schools are able to grow in this climate. SNHU, WGU, ASU and GCU continue to grow. The surprise in this year’s numbers is the growth by several campuses of UTI and by DeVry’s Chamberlain College.