Enrollment Updates

Brand Campaign Saturates Chicago Market

Brand Campaign Saturates Chicago Market

EMM’s University Marketing launched another highly visible flight of the acclaimed “Here, We Do.” brand awareness... read more

New Financial Aid Portal Improves Prospective Student Experience

New Financial Aid Portal Improves Prospective Student Experience

A new portal in Blue Demon Domain is demystifying financial aid, leveraging technology to simplify this important process for newly admitted... read more

Winter 2019 Enrollment Surpasses Budgeted Goal

Winter 2019 Enrollment Surpasses Budgeted Goal

​Building off a positive fall quarter, DePaul delivered strong winter quarter outcomes by enrolling 21,953 students, almost 2 percent more... read more

Career Center Launches New Community-Based Advising Services

Career Center Launches New Community-Based Advising Services

​Isabel Grandy always knew that science would be in her future, but where it would lead her and how she would get there, she is just... read more

University Registrar Improves Degree Conferral Process

University Registrar Improves Degree Conferral Process

Behind the thousands of degrees that DePaul awards each year is the degree conferral process, overseen by EMM’s Office of the University... read more

New Admitted Student Preview Days Designed to Increase Enrollment

New Admitted Student Preview Days Designed to Increase Enrollment

​EMM’s Office of Undergraduate Admission made significant changes recently to DePaul’s Admitted Student Preview Days. These events drew over... read more

DAPP Partners with Community Colleges on New Student-Centered Brochures

DAPP Partners with Community Colleges on New Student-Centered Brochures

​This past fall, the DePaul Admission Partnership Program (DAPP) introduced a new marketing initiative featuring promotional brochures... read more

DePaul Celebrates Transfers During National Transfer Student Week

DePaul Celebrates Transfers During National Transfer Student Week

​​​For DePaul transfer students, the Joan Wish Welcome Center in the Loop was the place to be Oct. 15-19, 2018. EMM’s Office of Transfer... read more

Spring Quarter Enrollment Exceeds Budgeted Target

Spring Quarter Enrollment Exceeds Budgeted Target

DePaul enrolled 20,362 students this spring, surpassing the budgeted target by 570 students and generating a spring quarter university... read more

DePaul Partners with National Actuary Organization to Help Diversify the Profession

DePaul Partners with National Actuary Organization to Help Diversify the Profession

​EMM’s Center for Access and Attainment (CAA) has been leading efforts to spread awareness about actuarial careers to underserved high... read more

Career Center Study Abroad Trip Introduces Students to Careers Overseas

Career Center Study Abroad Trip Introduces Students to Careers Overseas

​​It’s spring break, and seventeen DePaul students and two staff members are getting ready to board a flight to London. For some of these... read more

Slate Improves Orientation Registration Process for New Freshmen

Slate Improves Orientation Registration Process for New Freshmen

Registering for Premiere orientation just got easier for incoming DePaul students  with a new process that went live in early... read more

Financial Aid and Admission Collaborate to Strengthen Messaging

Financial Aid and Admission Collaborate to Strengthen Messaging

Many processes demand a student’s attention during their first few weeks of joining DePaul. With so many tasks they need to complete and... read more

Winter 2018 Enrollment Exceeds Budgeted Goal

Winter 2018 Enrollment Exceeds Budgeted Goal

​DePaul built on positive fall quarter outcomes by enrolling 21,953 students this winter, almost 3 percent more than the budgeted... read more

Analytics Drive EMM's College Website Refresh Project

Analytics Drive EMM's College Website Refresh Project

Web marketing is critical to meeting the university’s enrollment goals, with DePaul’s website the primary source for generating prospective... read more

IRMA Engages Students Through Student Pulse Initiative

IRMA Engages Students Through Student Pulse Initiative

​Survey research on student perceptions of their experience at DePaul is an important part of the work done in EMM’s Institutional Research... read more

Faculty Partnerships Pave Way for DePaul's Transfer Experience Event

Faculty Partnerships Pave Way for DePaul's Transfer Experience Event

​More than 50 prospective transfer students gathered on the Loop Campus for an immersive visit day on Jan. 10, 2018. The occasion was the... read more

Career Center Launches New Online Platform for Alumni Sharing Knowledge Network

Career Center Launches New Online Platform for Alumni Sharing Knowledge Network

​The Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) Network has been providing valuable opportunities since the ‘90s for DePaul students to make... read more

DePaul Sets Record Four-Year Graduation Rate

DePaul Sets Record Four-Year Graduation Rate

A university record 60.2 percent of freshman who enrolled at DePaul in fall 2013 graduated in four years, according to the recently released... read more

Recently Launched Virtual Tours Offer a New Way to Explore DePaul

Recently Launched Virtual Tours Offer a New Way to Explore DePaul

​A campus visit is often the most important factor influencing a student's college choice. But not all prospective students are able to... read more

DePaul Expands Recruitment Efforts on the West Coast

DePaul Expands Recruitment Efforts on the West Coast

In recent years, the number of high school graduates in the Midwest has declined. At the same time, Illinois has been exporting high school... read more

Blue Demon Domain Streamlines Next Steps for Admitted Students

Blue Demon Domain Streamlines Next Steps for Admitted Students

​Technological innovations have changed how universities interact with prospective students. Today’s potential enrollees expect to manage... read more

DePaul Celebrates Inaugural Transfer Student Week

DePaul Celebrates Inaugural Transfer Student Week

DePaul is the number one private university destination for transfers in the state of Illinois and a recognized leader in transfer student... read more

Career Outcomes Hold Strong for DePaul's Class of 2016

Career Outcomes Hold Strong for DePaul's Class of 2016

​Career outcomes for DePaul's undergraduate and graduate students remain strong, according to a recent report from EMM’s Career Center.... read more

Overall Enrollment Hits Target for Fall 2017

Overall Enrollment Hits Target for Fall 2017

​In an era of constrained budgets, it is critical that enrollment meets the goals set forth in the university’s SRAC process. By registering... read more

DePaul Advocates Through National Network to Help Influence Financial Aid Policies

DePaul Advocates Through National Network to Help Influence Financial Aid Policies

With the Higher Education Act reauthorization up for consideration and potential federal cuts on the table, communication with policymakers... read more

Web Communications Team Tackles Accessibility Design Issues

Web Communications Team Tackles Accessibility Design Issues

DePaul’s recent website accessibility enhancements are helping to ensure that web content is accessible to a wide range of people with... read more

Interesting Patterns Part of Successful Summer Enrollment

Interesting Patterns Part of Successful Summer Enrollment

​Although summer registration represents a relatively small proportion of the enrollment activity over any given year at DePaul, it still... read more

DePaul Receives National Recognition for “Urban Educated. World Ready” Brand Campaign

DePaul Receives National Recognition for “Urban Educated. World Ready” Brand Campaign

DePaul recently won three national awards for achievement in education marketing and advertising. The 32nd Annual Educational Advertising... read more

DePaul Delivers Transfer Degree Programs to Harper College

DePaul Delivers Transfer Degree Programs to Harper College

Intensifying competition requires innovative responses for DePaul to retain its position as a top transfer institution.  A recently... read more

DePaul’s Record Spring Tuition Revenue Tops Budgeted Goal

DePaul’s Record Spring Tuition Revenue Tops Budgeted Goal

DePaul enrolled 20,883 students this spring, generating a spring quarter university record $193.7 million in gross tuition revenue. ... read more

ISAC Audit Demonstrates DePaul’s Excellence in Financial Aid Compliance

ISAC Audit Demonstrates DePaul’s Excellence in Financial Aid Compliance

​For the first time in DePaul’s history, the university earned a no-findings result on the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC)... read more

Leadership Transition in the Center for Access and Attainment

Leadership Transition in the Center for Access and Attainment

​Darryl Arrington assumed leadership of the Center for Access and Attainment (CAA) within EMM in January 2017.  Arrington will serve as... read more

How is FAFSA's Prior-Prior Year Impacting DePaul?

How is FAFSA's Prior-Prior Year Impacting DePaul?

​Last year, the U.S. Department of Education announced that students would be able to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid... read more

EMM Milestone: Ten Years of Accelerated Transfer Admission Events

EMM Milestone: Ten Years of Accelerated Transfer Admission Events

August 2016 marked the 10-year anniversary of the Accelerated Transfer Admission (ATA) events created and facilitated by EMM’s Office of... read more

Internship Plu$ Expands Opportunities for Students in Need

Internship Plu$ Expands Opportunities for Students in Need

​DePaul’s Internship Plu$ program was highlighted in a December Chicago Tribune article on college career services as a successful... read more

Enrollment Generates Record Winter Quarter Revenue

Enrollment Generates Record Winter Quarter Revenue

DePaul’s winter enrollment of 22,269 students generated a winter-quarter record $219.4 million in tuition revenue, only $64,000 less than... read more

Fall 2016 Enrollment on Target

Fall 2016 Enrollment on Target

External factors such as demographic changes and uncertainty with the state government budget have created greater uncertainty in the higher... read more

How Does DePaul Manage its Default Rate?

How Does DePaul Manage its Default Rate?

​When a student defaults on their federal loans after they leave DePaul, the university’s default rate increases.  Default rates help... read more

New Immunization Submission Process Improves Efficiency for Students and Staff

New Immunization Submission Process Improves Efficiency for Students and Staff

​Submitting proof-of-immunization records is required by state law, not by DePaul, yet  students are blocked from future course... read more

Transferable Skills Initiative Helps Affirm the Value of a Degree

Transferable Skills Initiative Helps Affirm the Value of a Degree

More than ever, students are seeking value from their educational experiences. With the rising costs of higher education, it’s natural to... read more

Enrollment Services Shares Best Practices and Strengthens Partnerships at Training Day

Enrollment Services Shares Best Practices and Strengthens Partnerships at Training Day

The professionals in EMM’s Enrollment Services (which includes the offices of the Registrar, Financial Aid and DePaul Central) work directly... read more

Slate Launch Bolsters Recruitment Efforts

Slate Launch Bolsters Recruitment Efforts

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New Website Tells DePaul Stories to Prospective Students

New Website Tells DePaul Stories to Prospective Students

The sheer volume of information that prospective students review during the college admission process can make it hard to distinguish one... read more

Web Communications Launches New Mobile-Friendly depaul.edu

Web Communications Launches New Mobile-Friendly depaul.edu

These days, we can access information from almost any place at any time with any device—from your home desktop, with your phone on the... read more

Strong Career Outcomes for DePaul’s Class of 2015

Strong Career Outcomes for DePaul’s Class of 2015

DePaul graduates from the class of 2015 have one of the best career outcome rates in university history, according to a recently released... read more

​Test-Optional Admission Unanimously Approved by Faculty Council

​Test-Optional Admission Unanimously Approved by Faculty Council

DePaul made news when it implemented a test-optional admission pilot program in 2012.  After four years of collecting data and... read more

DePaul Tops Budgeted Enrollment and Revenue Goals for Spring Quarter

DePaul Tops Budgeted Enrollment and Revenue Goals for Spring Quarter

DePaul’s spring enrollment of 21,076 students exceeded the budgeted target by 2 percent while generating $190.5 million in gross tuition... read more

DePaul Honored as 2016 Member of Community College Transfer Honor Roll

DePaul Honored as 2016 Member of Community College Transfer Honor Roll

DePaul’s commitment to its community college partners and transfer student population was nationally recognized with its selection as an... read more

New Delegated Access Tool Offers Secure Way for Students to Share Information

New Delegated Access Tool Offers Secure Way for Students to Share Information

“Why can’t I see the grades if I’m paying the bill?”  That’s been a regular question—and point of contention—faced by DePaul Central... read more

 Report Examines How Innovative New Programs Impact DePaul’s Enrollment Portfolio

Report Examines How Innovative New Programs Impact DePaul’s Enrollment Portfolio

DePaul’s reputation as an innovative institution is demonstrated by its ability to create academic programs that respond to a rapidly changing marketplace. How do these programs impact enrollment at DePaul? A recently released report from EMM’s Institutional Research and Market Analytics (IRMA) offers some insight.​

New Student Enrollment Drives Record Winter Quarter Revenue

New Student Enrollment Drives Record Winter Quarter Revenue

DePaul’s winter enrollment of 22,661 students surpasses the university’s budget target, generating a winter-quarter record $215.9 million in tuition revenue.​

Record-setting Diversity in Fall 2015 Enrollment Profile

Record-setting Diversity in Fall 2015 Enrollment Profile

Racial and ethnic diversity has long been an important enrollment outcome at DePaul. Strategies to achieve that diversity have never paid off like they did this fall, when DePaul set numerous diversity records across nearly every student segment. ​

When Perkins Loan Program Ultimately Expires, DePaul Will Be Ready

When Perkins Loan Program Ultimately Expires, DePaul Will Be Ready

The U.S. Senate reversed course in December and agreed to extend the Perkins Loan program for two more years. The extension is being positioned as a “managed shutdown” of the country’s oldest federal student-loan program. When Perkins winds down, what will be the impact on DePaul? ​​

DAPP Marks Milestone with First Graduating Cohort

DAPP Marks Milestone with First Graduating Cohort

The DePaul Admission Partnership Program (DAPP), a pre-transfer preparation program for students who choose to begin their undergraduate... read more

Brand Strategy Workshops Tailor DePaul Story to Colleges and Schools

Brand Strategy Workshops Tailor DePaul Story to Colleges and Schools

​​​​​If asked in the elevator, could you describe DePaul’s distinctiveness in just a few words? EMM’s Marketing Strategy and Branding team... read more

LPC Career Center Remodel Designed to Increase Student Engagement

LPC Career Center Remodel Designed to Increase Student Engagement

Over the summer, the Career Center remodeled its office on the Lincoln Park Campus. The updates, designed to increase student engagement with the university’s career advisory services and programs, are making an impression.

Fall 2015 Enrollment Generates Record Tuition Revenue

Fall 2015 Enrollment Generates Record Tuition Revenue

​​​​​Fall enrollment sets the stage for DePaul’s annual fiscal performance. By surpassing enrollment targets and generating a university record in tuition revenue this fall, DePaul is in a strong position for the 2015-16 academic year.​

EMM Offers New Tool for Understanding Implications of Curricular Changes

EMM Offers New Tool for Understanding Implications of Curricular Changes

As part of an ongoing effort to introduce and improve course scheduling analytics, EMM recently undertook a project to "reverse engineer" the DePaul University Catalog to better understand the systemic implications of changing course offerings and program requirements.

DePaul Ranks Positively On College Scorecard

DePaul Ranks Positively On College Scorecard

The U.S. Department of Education recently released its College Scorecard website, an interactive online resource designed to make federal data more accessible for students and families to compare the affordability and quality of colleges and universities across the nation. So how does DePaul measure up on the scorecard?

New Technology Improves Recruitment Communication Processes for Prospective Students

New Technology Improves Recruitment Communication Processes for Prospective Students

EMM’s Enrollment Systems and Operations is in the process of installing and implementing Slate, a best-in-class CRM solution, this year. Facing a longer recruitment cycle and a more complex and competitive environment, Slate will allow DePaul to respond to the pressing need to more strategically segment, sequence and sustain its communications with prospective students.

DePaul’s Student Support Services Funding Renewed by U.S. Department of Education

DePaul’s Student Support Services Funding Renewed by U.S. Department of Education

DePaul’s Student Support Services (SSS) program is widely recognized for the successful outcomes of its program participants. That reputation was affirmed this summer when the U.S. Department of Education awarded DePaul a near-perfect score on its grant application and renewed the university’s SSS funding for five years.

COE Develops Partnership with Chicago-Based Nonprofit to Boost Enrollment

COE Develops Partnership with Chicago-Based Nonprofit to Boost Enrollment

Enrollment in teacher-prep programs has dropped significantly over the past several years. While causes of the decrease are varied and many, the effect is increased pressure on colleges of education—including DePaul’s—to develop strategies to mitigate the enrollment shortfall. A new partnership with a local nonprofit is one way DePaul is addressing the challenge.

Positive Early Indicators for Fall 2015 Freshman Enrollment

Positive Early Indicators for Fall 2015 Freshman Enrollment

With the start of fall quarter still a few months away, it’s too early to know precisely how enrollment will look in September. Early indications, however, provide optimism for a strong freshman class at DePaul.

New Standards Help Paint Clearer Picture of Post-Graduation Career Outcomes

New Standards Help Paint Clearer Picture of Post-Graduation Career Outcomes

EMM’s Career Center’s annual Career Outcomes report gives the most comprehensive look yet into the employment and graduate school outcomes for 2014 graduates. And for the first time, DePaul’s use of new standards and protocols allows bachelor’s degree outcomes to be benchmarked with institutions across the nation.

DePaul Scholarship Connect Improves Scholarship Process

DePaul Scholarship Connect Improves Scholarship Process

The cost of college is among the top challenges facing students and higher education institutions across the country. The DePaul Scholarship Fair, hosted by EMM’s Office of Financial Aid, introduced students to one of the many ways DePaul is helping make a college education more affordable, the DePaul Scholarship Connect online tool.

Innovative Program Increases Access to Study and Research Abroad

Innovative Program Increases Access to Study and Research Abroad

DePaul has become a leading institution in making international education experiences more accessible to students. Part of this effort has been through EMM’s TRIO McNair Scholars and Arnold L. Mitchem Fellows programs which provide academic support for low-income, first generation and minority students preparing for doctoral studies and faculty careers.

Spring Quarter 2015 Enrollment Tops Budgeted Goal

Spring Quarter 2015 Enrollment Tops Budgeted Goal

DePaul’s spring enrollment of 21,224 students exceeded the budgeted target by 3 percent while generating $183.6 million in gross tuition revenue, a university record for spring quarter.

Retention and Graduation Outcomes for New Transfers

Retention and Graduation Outcomes for New Transfers

DePaul’s new transfer students have consistently strong retention and graduation outcomes, and the recently released outcomes data confirm this.

Report Reveals Trends Among Competitors for Non-Enrolling Admits

Report Reveals Trends Among Competitors for Non-Enrolling Admits

EMM’s Institutional Research and Market Analytics (IRMA), using data from the National Student Clearinghouse, recently released a comprehensive report to answer those questions about students who apply to but do not enroll at DePaul.

National Student Employment Week Highlights Impact of Student Workforce

National Student Employment Week Highlights Impact of Student Workforce

The Student Employment team within EMM’s Career Center held its annual celebration of student employees during National Student Employment Week April 13-17, hosting activities and professional development workshops that highlight the importance of student employment at DePaul.

DePaul Students Connect with Area Start-Ups at Winter Internship Fair

DePaul Students Connect with Area Start-Ups at Winter Internship Fair

Start-Up Alley, a new feature at the Career Center’s annual Winter Internship Fair on Feb. 13, gave DePaul students the opportunity to network and interview with Chicago start-ups looking for highly qualified interns.

Winter 2015 Enrollment Exceeds Projections

Winter 2015 Enrollment Exceeds Projections

DePaul’s winter enrollment of 22,783 students surpasses the university’s budget target, generating a winter-quarter record $208.7 million in tuition revenue.

DePaul’s Retention and Graduation Rates Highest Ever

DePaul’s Retention and Graduation Rates Highest Ever

Rates for first-year retention, four-year graduation and six-year graduation at DePaul have been consistently strong in recent years, but new data reported by EMM’s Institutional Research and Market Analytics demonstrate they reached new heights in 2014: all rates are the highest in DePaul’s history.

The Equation for Academic Success at DePaul? First-Year Performance ≥ 2.5 GPA + 48 Credit Hours

The Equation for Academic Success at DePaul? First-Year Performance ≥ 2.5 GPA + 48 Credit Hours

DePaul’s in-depth longitudinal research of student retention and graduation trends has revealed—and continues to confirm—how critical first-year academic performance is to a student staying at DePaul and graduating on time.

Counselor Visit Day Spotlights Cinespace Partnership and College of Education

Counselor Visit Day Spotlights Cinespace Partnership and College of Education

Undergraduate Admission hosted the annual Counselor Visit Day for Chicago-area high school counselors on Dec. 5. Forty-seven counselors from more than 30 high schools and nonprofit organizations visited the Lincoln Park Campus to learn more about DePaul, and the College of Education and Digital Cinema academic programs in particular.

Student Achievement Measure Broadens Measurement of Outcomes

Student Achievement Measure Broadens Measurement of Outcomes

DePaul recently joined nearly 600 higher education institutions across the nation in a project known as the Student Achievement Measure, or SAM. SAM is an alternative to the federal graduation rate and is a more accurate representation of outcomes for students seeking associate and bachelor’s degrees.

New Grant Designed to Strengthen Pipeline to DePaul for Males of Color

New Grant Designed to Strengthen Pipeline to DePaul for Males of Color

The Community Outreach team within EMM’s Center for Access and Attainment was recently awarded a grant from the Vincentian Endowment Fund to establish a pathway to DePaul for males of color from Chicago through its partnership with the Male Initiative Project, a school-based mentoring program for African-American and Latino males from Chicago public and Catholic schools.

Professional Exploration Program Introduces Freshmen to the Workplace

Professional Exploration Program Introduces Freshmen to the Workplace

DePaul’s University Internship Program has designed an innovative program to help LAS and CSH students explore career interests through a hands-on employer shadow experience called the Professional Exploration Program.

Bold Advertising Spotlights Data Science at DePaul

Bold Advertising Spotlights Data Science at DePaul

An attention-grabbing new advertising campaign has staked DePaul’s claim as the premier Chicago area education provider in the field of data science.

DreamWorks' Visit to DePaul Provides Valuable Insights

DreamWorks' Visit to DePaul Provides Valuable Insights

EMM's Employer Relations team hosted a day-long campus visit from DreamWorks Animation in late September. This group has been working with the animation leader to forge a pipeline for placing talented CDM students and graduates into challenging internships and entry-level roles at DreamWorks.

Transfer Student Success Strategies Highlighted at Faculty Meeting

Transfer Student Success Strategies Highlighted at Faculty Meeting

A first-ever cross-disciplinary meeting of community college and DePaul faculty was convened in September on the Lincoln Park Campus, bringing together 75 faculty members dedicated to supporting transfer students as they transition to DePaul.

Freshman and Transfer Data Illustrated in New Infographics

Freshman and Transfer Data Illustrated in New Infographics

Two EMM departments, Institutional Research and Market Analytics and University Marketing Communications, collaborated recently to produce a set of infographics displaying the characteristics of incoming freshman and transfer students.

Record Attendance at Fall Job and Internship Fair

Record Attendance at Fall Job and Internship Fair

The annual Fall Job and Internship Fair, one of the signature events hosted by EMM’s Career Center, was expanded to two days, bringing a record 131 companies and over 1,100 job seekers to DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus on Oct. 9-10.

DePaul Celebrates TRIO and First-Generation Students' Success

DePaul Celebrates TRIO and First-Generation Students' Success

The federally funded college access and success programs collectively known as TRIO celebrated their 50th anniversary this summer. Over the past 17 years, DePaul has successfully competed for and maintained two TRIO programs—housed in EMM’s Center for Access and Attainment—and together they have served more than 2,000 low-income and first-generation students.

Grant Creates Programs for Chicago IB Students

Grant Creates Programs for Chicago IB Students

A grant from the McGowan Charitable Fund enabled EMM’s Center for Access and Attainment to reach more than 1,500 International Baccalaureate (IB) students, teachers and administrators within Chicago Public Schools, building on DePaul’s more than decade-long partnership with the IB organization and Chicago schools.

Corporate Onsite Programs Deliver Enrollment Growth

Corporate Onsite Programs Deliver Enrollment Growth

New onsite graduate programs are bringing DePaul through the door at some of the area’s most prominent employers. This summer, two corporate onsite cohorts began resulting in 70 new graduate students and $3.2 million in revenue over the duration of the program.

Student Records Supports BlueStar Implementation

Student Records Supports BlueStar Implementation

BlueStar in Campus Connect, DePaul’s new online system that supports academic success, launched campus-wide this fall. Over the past year, EM&M’s Student Records, along with Information Services, has led the technology-side of the BlueStar implementation.

New Health Science Pathway Programs Approved

New Health Science Pathway Programs Approved

Academic program development in targeted disciplines was a key reason the Alliance for Health Sciences formed with Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in October 2012. This summer, academic program development goals for the alliance were achieved with the approval of several new curricular tracks.

Record Honors Program Enrollment in Fall 2014

Record Honors Program Enrollment in Fall 2014

DePaul is attracting more high-performing students than ever as demonstrated by successive years of record enrollment in the University Honors Program, including an all-time high of 260 students this fall.

Fall 2014 Enrollment Surpasses Target

Fall 2014 Enrollment Surpasses Target

DePaul exceeds expectations this fall by enrolling 23,799 students. Enrollment tops the budgeted target by 1.2 percent with tuition revenue $2.8 million above the goal and $4.5 million more than last year.