Northern Kentucky University has received over 6,500 freshman applications for the upcoming fall semester.
Officials say that's an all-time record for the university and a 36 percent increase over last year.
Because of that, the school says it will have to limit enrollment.
The school says qualified freshmen with more than one academic deficiency who apply for admission after July 1 will be deferred to the spring semester. Students with just one or no academic deficiencies will continue to be admitted for the fall.
“Our community has come to know NKU as a place where students can receive a high-quality education at an affordable price,” said NKU President James Votruba. “We have worked hard to ensure an up-close and personal experience for our students and we are proud to have an outstanding faculty and staff who care deeply about the students we serve. The commitment from the entire campus community has made these record numbers possible.”
“Unfortunately, reductions in state funding in recent years have made it difficult for NKU to continue to grow,” Votruba said. “And this comes at a time when NKU is the top choice for a rapidly growing number of students. We wish we had other options, but right now we simply do not.”
NKU says the tremendous growth, paired with the university's underfunding has left them with few choices.
Joel Robinson, associate vice president for enrollment management said the university will do everything it can over the next week to inform students of the decision. “This information will be clearly communicated on our admissions Web site and each student who is deferred will be personally contacted by the Office of Admissions so we can explain their options,” Robinson said.
University officials stressed that current NKU students will not be impacted by this change, but they do encourage all continuing students to register for classes soon. With such large numbers expected this fall, it is likely that by August class selection will be more limited than in past years.
And Zebulun Davenport, vice president for student affairs, says that despite limits on enrollment this fall, there is still limited capacity in the university's residential facilities for students who want to live on campus.
“If students act quickly, we can still accommodate their needs for housing,” Davenport said. NKU added a new residence hall last year which increased its housing capacity to about 1,800.
Earlier this year, the university implemented an "assured consideration" deadline of June 1 due to space concerns. The school included the message in recruiting materials that students who applied after June 1 ran the risk of being denied admission because of space limitations.
