Loyola’s student enrollment decreased by around one hundred students this year since last fall, President Xavier Cole said at the annual president’s convocation.

Cole assured the university’s budget is balanced despite this drop. Increased graduate, online graduate, and law school made up for low undergraduate enrollment, he said.

A delay in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid influenced low enrollment, said Anthony Jones, vice president of enrollment. The Federal Department of Education said they would simplify FAFSA in an effort to help low income students and families apply for aid, Jones said. The department pushed back launch dates for the redeveloped FAFSA. 

“Windows were closing for universities to send out aid packages to students,” Jones said. “Families in a vulnerable position need a longer window to decide if they’re going to have the money to go to school.” 

Loyola applicants did not receive financial aid packages until March or April. Many students were left with one month to decide until the enrollment deadline in May. Families fell out of the enrollment process, opting to wait for the spring or fall 2025 semesters or commit to lower sticker price schools. 

Over 90% of students at Loyola have some form of financial aid, and 40% of students have some form of Pell grant for low-income families, Jones said. The delay in financial aid packages was detrimental to students who will depend on them to go to school, he said.

Loyola hired Jones earlier this year to manage undergraduate and graduate admissions, financial aid, enrollment operations, and campus visits. 

Jones said his original start was June 1, but he asked to come earlier and help the best that he could with financial aid.  

Loyola aimed to clarify the process by communicating with students and restructuring the enrollment staff, Jones said. 

“As far as I know, there are no plans to reduce staff or faculty, which is a good thing,” he said.

Loyola also began using a loan repayment assistance program that pays student’s loans if a student makes $50,000 or less after graduation.  

“The goal there was to help some students we were on the fence about coming to Loyola to make a decision to be with us,” Jones said. 

To address recruitment, the admissions office plans to reach out to more Catholic enclaves across the country and ask faculty, alumni, and students for assistance, Jones said. The team plans to get students more involved in the recruitment process this year, he said. 

Jones hopes that the decrease in enrollment will not be a pattern. He expects ongoing conversation within the organization about how to address the situation.

“Our ability to be able to get as many packages done and out on the street will be hampered to at least a smaller degree this year,” Jones said. “We should not be caught off guard.”