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FRANKFORT — Kentucky State University welcomes a new academic year with an influx of new freshmen for the fall 2017 semester.

Justin Mathis, director of admissions, says Kentucky State is witnessing the hard work invested by a dedicated enrollment team to increase the total number of freshmen enrolled from 194 (June 1) to 510, a surge of 316 more students or 162.9 percent.

President M. Christopher Brown II says that Kentucky State will focus and prioritize resources to achieve enrollment projections — 3,000 students by 2020.

“Kentucky State University continues to provide access to a quality education and is an affordable choice,” President Brown said all while understanding that students still encounter financial challenges when it comes to investing in their futures.

“We lost more than 35 new students who could not afford to close the financial gap. Our enrollment efforts and strategies include developing a financial aid plan and investing in institutional aid and scholarships to help alleviate the financial stress of earning a Kentucky State degree. We are committed to providing a quality education championed by a supportive campus culture.”

To help accommodate the growing population, the institution is working hard to ensure the necessary provisions — housing, academic support resources and dining services — are in place to support the uptick in new students.

University housing is currently at 110 percent capacity, moving 56 students to overflow housing at the Capital Plaza Hotel in downtown Frankfort, said Vice President for Student Engagement and Campus Life Thomas J. Calhoun Jr.

“We realize living on campus allows every student to develop valuable friendships and experience our lively campus atmosphere,” Calhoun said. “We are duplicating services at the Capital Plaza, giving students housed off-campus a sense of campus culture and community.”

For now, university officials plan to work toward the development of a plan for affordable state-of-the-art living and learning housing options for its campus.

ABOUT KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY

Kentucky State University, building on its legacy of achievement as a historically black, liberal arts, and 1890 Land Grant University affords access to and prepares a diverse population of traditional and non-traditional students through high-quality undergraduate and select graduate programs. Located in Kentucky, KSU offers associate (two-year) degrees in two disciplines, baccalaureate (four-year) degrees in 24 disciplines, master’s degrees in eight disciplines, and one advanced practice doctorate in nursing. KSU has 129 full-time instructional faculty members and more than 2,000 students.