Grace Sees 'A Measure' Of Increased Enrollment
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Chris Tulley-
The mission statement for Grace College is “To know Christ and to make Him known.” To fully utilize this, president Bill Katip and Vice President of Enrollment Cindy Sisson worked to make Grace significantly more affordable than other private colleges in the area, according to Sisson.
In 2011, Grace became one of the only colleges in America that offered three-year bachelor degrees for over 65 majors. The program was named A Measure of Grace, and includes several ways that Grace has become more affordable and effective, according to school officials. The three-year program cuts tuition down by a quarter of the traditional cost. This allows enrollment to rise, which leads to more students learning about Christ while completing college.
Sisson stated that a Measure of Grace came to be when enrollment dropped in 2008. She and other faculty wanted Grace to be accessible to anyone who was interested. In the four years that the three-year program has been offered, enrollment has risen by over 700 students. According to Sisson, affordability should be about the college finding creative ways to run more efficiently instead of students and parents looking for the money.
A Measure of Grace includes six ways to make private college education available.
Amanda Banks, director of public relations, has already witnessed these ways draw people to the school. The first thing that a Measure of Grace does is say that a student’s tuition will never be higher than their first year. Their senior year will be significantly cheaper than their freshman. The second step ensures this because for each year a student returns to Grace, their tuition will drop by $500. So if a student goes to Grace for four years, tuition will have dropped $2,000.
The third way Grace is saving students money involves textbook purchases. Grace students do not pay for their textbooks. Textbooks can be so expensive, some students can not afford them and thus suffer in their classes, according to Sisson. The local bookstore goes as far as delivering the textbooks to students’ rooms on campus. Students will never have to worry about the cost of textbooks, or fear having a wrong edition, according to Sisson.
A fourth aspect of the program offers the three-year accelerated program to over 65 majors. This includes eight-week sessions instead of 16-week semesters and offers students free online summer courses. On top of that, students can choose to stay a fourth year at Grace and receive a master’s degree. This fifth piece allows students to earn two degrees in the time other schools offer just a bachelor’s, according to Banks, all while keeping their financial aid benefits.
Finally, the last piece to a Measure of Grace is the school’s commitment to Christ. It guarantees an education that stresses biblical values that will prepare students for their job fields. Sisson advised that this was the driving force behind founding the program. To her and the other faculty members, the more students that can afford Grace, the more students will be able to find these values and use them.
If a student completes the accelerated program, they will pay approximately $65,850, which is $44,000 less than at other private colleges. Since its implementation, traditional enrollment has risen 24 percent. Grace offers its master’s program, the GOAL adult education program, seminary and has campuses in Detroit and Indianapolis.
Grace has received more applications so far for 2016 than any previous year with over 520, which is 18 percent above projection, according to statistics provided by Banks. The bigger Grace grows, the more ways it can save students money, she said. For more information, visit grace.edu/gamechanger.[[In-content Ad]]
The mission statement for Grace College is “To know Christ and to make Him known.” To fully utilize this, president Bill Katip and Vice President of Enrollment Cindy Sisson worked to make Grace significantly more affordable than other private colleges in the area, according to Sisson.
In 2011, Grace became one of the only colleges in America that offered three-year bachelor degrees for over 65 majors. The program was named A Measure of Grace, and includes several ways that Grace has become more affordable and effective, according to school officials. The three-year program cuts tuition down by a quarter of the traditional cost. This allows enrollment to rise, which leads to more students learning about Christ while completing college.
Sisson stated that a Measure of Grace came to be when enrollment dropped in 2008. She and other faculty wanted Grace to be accessible to anyone who was interested. In the four years that the three-year program has been offered, enrollment has risen by over 700 students. According to Sisson, affordability should be about the college finding creative ways to run more efficiently instead of students and parents looking for the money.
A Measure of Grace includes six ways to make private college education available.
Amanda Banks, director of public relations, has already witnessed these ways draw people to the school. The first thing that a Measure of Grace does is say that a student’s tuition will never be higher than their first year. Their senior year will be significantly cheaper than their freshman. The second step ensures this because for each year a student returns to Grace, their tuition will drop by $500. So if a student goes to Grace for four years, tuition will have dropped $2,000.
The third way Grace is saving students money involves textbook purchases. Grace students do not pay for their textbooks. Textbooks can be so expensive, some students can not afford them and thus suffer in their classes, according to Sisson. The local bookstore goes as far as delivering the textbooks to students’ rooms on campus. Students will never have to worry about the cost of textbooks, or fear having a wrong edition, according to Sisson.
A fourth aspect of the program offers the three-year accelerated program to over 65 majors. This includes eight-week sessions instead of 16-week semesters and offers students free online summer courses. On top of that, students can choose to stay a fourth year at Grace and receive a master’s degree. This fifth piece allows students to earn two degrees in the time other schools offer just a bachelor’s, according to Banks, all while keeping their financial aid benefits.
Finally, the last piece to a Measure of Grace is the school’s commitment to Christ. It guarantees an education that stresses biblical values that will prepare students for their job fields. Sisson advised that this was the driving force behind founding the program. To her and the other faculty members, the more students that can afford Grace, the more students will be able to find these values and use them.
If a student completes the accelerated program, they will pay approximately $65,850, which is $44,000 less than at other private colleges. Since its implementation, traditional enrollment has risen 24 percent. Grace offers its master’s program, the GOAL adult education program, seminary and has campuses in Detroit and Indianapolis.
Grace has received more applications so far for 2016 than any previous year with over 520, which is 18 percent above projection, according to statistics provided by Banks. The bigger Grace grows, the more ways it can save students money, she said. For more information, visit grace.edu/gamechanger.[[In-content Ad]]
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