Wayne State Sees 15% Jump In Freshmen Enrollment, Largest Class In Its History

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Wayne State University's Old Main Building. Daily Detroit File Photo.

Wayne State University is welcoming its largest full-time freshman class in its history this year.

They saw a 15% jump in enrollment, to 2,955 freshmen.

There has been a ton of development activity on campus and in the surrounding Midtown neighborhood. New apartment buildings, student housing, restaurants and other draws for students.

Additionally, there’s a new financial aid award process that’s helping with the bump. Per the University:

The university has increased its commitment to low-income and first-generation students through a robust suite of awards and programs, including a first-generation fee waiver and the Wayne ACCESS Award, which covers the full cost of all tuition and fees. More than one third of the incoming freshman class are recipients of the Wayne ACCESS Award and will pay zero out-of-pocket costs.

Additionally, the financial aid award process now takes a holistic approach to evaluating merit-based scholarships, rather than the traditional focus on standardized test scores. For example, WSU recently partnered with Raise.me, a program that allows high school students as early as ninth grade to earn micro-scholarships for various achievements, including GPA and test accomplishments, volunteering, holding a leadership position in a school organization, or participating in an extracurricular activity or sport.

The university has roots back to 1868, when the Detroit Medical College, forerunner of the School of Medicine, was established.

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