Central State to welcome biggest group of new students in 7 years

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The university’s original new student target was 800 this year. Total enrollment numbers will be confirmed at the end of the month, according to CSU.

The increased enrollment is good news for Central State as the school attempts to move on from the financial and enrollment issues that troubled it in previous years. The school was taken off state fiscal watch in April and was named the historically black college of the year in July.

Central State attributes the enrollment growth to a focus on increasing cultural diversity through international recruitment.

This fall, students from the Bahamas will “dominate” the international community on campus, according to the university.

Two years ago, Central State entered into an agreement with the Bahamas Ministry of Education to provide scholarships for Bahamian students, according to the university.

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Due to the success of those initial students and CSU’s affordability, the Bahamian government tripled the number of sponsored students.

“Over the past two years we have made a concerted effort to ensure that our partnership with The Bahamas Ministry of Education is one that yields successful outcomes,’’ said Dr. Stephanie Krah, vice president of student affairs and enrollment management. “CSU is an institution that lives its mission of fostering academic excellence within a nurturing environment.”