Grace College Welcomes Largest Class For Spring 2015
Posted
Staff Report-
WINONA LAKE – For spring 2015, enrollment at Grace College and Seminary is at 1,835 students, a 13 percent increase over spring 2014, making it the largest spring class in the school’s 76 year history. The college has seen a 24.7 percent increase in spring enrollment over the last three years. According to a press release from the college, Grace attributes its growth to its pursuit of creative and relevant options to offer students a quality, affordable, faith-based education. This spring’s increase is also attributed to a 4.8 percent increase in traditional undergraduate enrollment and a 70.6 percent increase in online student enrollment. As the college has reimagined itself in recent years, it first redesigned its traditional education model to allow students the option of pursuing an accelerated three-year undergraduate degree and added opportunities for applied learning. Grace began offering students the option to graduate with a bachelor’s and master’s degree combined in four years. With the new Measure of Grace Initiative, effective this fall, Grace will reduce the cost of tuition by nine percent for traditional students on the main campus. In addition, once a student enrolls, their tuition will never be raised; instead, each consecutive year a student attends Grace they will receive an additional $500 off their tuition, according to the release. This can amount to an additional $3,000 savings. Grace also offers all main campus undergraduate students their textbook rentals free of charge, excluding consumables and workbooks. For the average student, this equates to another $1,200 price break per year, the release states. “We are excited that our effort to bring an affordable, faith-based education to students and their families is yielding such positive results,” said Aaron Crabtree, dean of students at Grace, in the release. “As with our recent 2014 fall class, we are now ready to welcome the largest incoming spring class ever to Grace College.” “Hard working families are making it clear that having a high quality education that’s affordable and accessible to them is a top priority,” Bill Katip, Grace College president, is quoted as saying. “This spring’s enrollment is a reaction to this vital need. It’s why more and more students are looking at the value and quality of a Grace education, and I believe having a faith-based institution that meets this need is an even greater value.”
