Covenant News

Dramatic Increase in North Park Applications

CHICAGO, IL (February 2, 2005) - The number of applications for undergraduate enrollment at North Park University has soared over the last year due in large part to a new tuition structure, says Mark Olson, the dean of enrollment and director of church relations.

Applications have increased 47 percent over last year and 73 percent over the same period two years ago, Olson says. About 30 percent of accepted applicants eventually attend.

"These are just fantastic numbers," Olson says. "We are roughly six to eight weeks ahead of where we were last year." Last year, the school had 1,415 students, Olson says. The goal for the coming academic year is 1,555, a number he says is "beatable." Many more of the incoming students probably will be coming from Evangelical Covenant churches, with 196 already having applied. That represents an increase of more than 55 percent over last year and 90 percent over two years ago, Olson says.

The dramatic increase in the number of students eligible for the university's top academic scholarships also has Olson excited for the future. Applications for the Nyvall Scholarship have risen 63 percent, and there has been a 190 percent increase in applications for Presidential Scholarships. Applicants for the Nyvall Scholarship must place in the top 10 percent of their high school class. The Presidential Scholarship requires students to be in the top 15 percent of their class.

Published tuition for first-time students for the 2005-2006 academic year will be $13,900, representing nearly a 32 percent decrease from the $20,350 published price for this fall. Olson says the previously published price could be misleading because few incoming students ever pay that amount because of readily available academic scholarships and financial aid packages that reduce tuition expenses. However, the decrease is a major step in helping North Park make a more favorable first impression on families seeking colleges for their children, he believes.

North Park administrators also are proud of the number of students they attract from households with an annual income of less than $40,000, easily beating the national average. Of the students attending the university, 35 percent of them are from such homes, Olson says, adding that the national average is 17 percent.

Increased numbers of students also mean increased need for housing and classroom space as well as faculty. Olson says the university already has taken steps to meet those demands. The school recently purchased a newly renovated building of studio apartments, which added 70 beds. Transferring seminary students to another newly purchased building opened another 30 beds, Olson says. Although another dormitory will be needed in the future, Olson says, North Park's location in the city allows it to purchase buildings as they are needed. "If you build a dorm, that's adding 180 beds right away," he explains. "There's less risk the way we are doing it."

Officials are currently studying classroom usage before deciding how to proceed, Olson says. He adds that North Park is committed to hiring enough faculty to handle the increased enrollment.

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