Enrollment Management

The goals of the UNCF Enrollment Management Program (EMP) are to increase student enrollment, improve recruitment and retention programs and improve graduation rates at UNCF member institutions.

To accomplish these goals, EMP will help UNCF institutions focus on efforts addressing three key areas—financial need, differences in academic preparation and social and emotional barriers—all determining factors in whether a low-income African-American or other student of color remains in college and graduates. It will provide a framework within which institutions can develop an understanding of the ways in which their policies, practices, services and programs affect the number of students who enroll and how the match between the needs and the ambitions of students and the characteristics of the institution affect persistence and retention rates.

Selected institutions will work closely with assigned consultants to develop enrollment management strategies, including multi-year enrollment plans, that will generate larger and more socio-economically, geographically and culturally diverse pools of prospective students and increase the persistence rates of those enrolled currently. Institutions will be expected to develop and meet enrollment milestones.

EMP will provide the funding and technical assistance necessary to support institutions through this transformation to build a highly-efficient, strategic enrollment program capable of effectively recruiting and retaining minority students. Funding permitting, a four-year pilot phase was launched in June 2006 that will involve four UNCF member institutions each receiving multi-year grant support of up to $615,000.