UHV spring enrollment sees increase in international students, credit hours
Increases in student retention and international student enrollment have helped the University of Houston-Victoria’s preliminary spring enrollment reach 4,163 students.
The preliminary enrollment total for this spring semester was 1.5 percent more than a year ago as of Feb. 6, the 12th class day of the spring semester when the official enrollment count is taken. This spring, 3,690 students returned to UHV from the fall semester, 2.5 percent more than the 3,599 students who returned a year ago. In addition, the university also has 166 international students taking classes this spring, a 12.9 percent increase compared with the previous spring.
“UHV is taking some big steps forward, and it is encouraging to see the university’s enrollment also is continuing to increase,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “I am pleased with the results, and I look forward to seeing the university continue to grow.”
The increase in international students is an impressive shift, especially when considering that the nationwide trend for international student enrollment is downward, said David Cockrum, UHV interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.
An article published on Feb. 11 by Inside Higher Ed stated that there are fewer applicants to U.S. universities from many countries and regions, including India, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. Some of the decrease is attributed to changes in immigration and visa policies, and some declines may be because of the national immigration controversy, according to the article.
UHV’s increase in international students has to do with many factors, said Ludmi Herath, director of UHV International Programs. The university offers a quick admissions process, and students have access to special scholarships to help make tuition more affordable.
“International students pay a much higher tuition price than U.S. students,” Herath said. “UHV’s scholarships help make the tuition more competitive for international students, so they are more likely to apply and attend our university.”
In addition to an increase in enrollment, UHV students are taking more credit hours than the previous spring. As of the 12th class day, students are enrolled in 38,773 credit hours, a 2.1 percent increase compared with the previous year and 2.4 percent more than the previous spring enrollment record in 2015.
“The increase in credit hours is an exciting development because it means that UHV is enrolling more full-time students,” Cockrum said. “It also serves as a boost to the university because state funding is calculated based on the number of credit hours an institution offers.”
Final spring enrollment figures and a breakdown of student demographics will be available later in the spring semester after certification from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
