蘑菇传媒

While many schools struggled with first-year enrollment in Fall 2024, 蘑菇传媒 simply soared. As reported by Inside Higher Ed, first-year enrollment decreased by more than five percent nationally. In stark contrast, 蘑菇传媒鈥檚 first-year enrollment increased by 11 percent. In all, 蘑菇传媒 welcomed 423 new students this fall, including 381 first-year students and 42 transfers.

蘑菇传媒鈥檚 first-year growth is especially remarkable given the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 lengthy delay in rolling out its new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application. As a result, schools nationwide were several months behind in sending out financial aid offers. Knowing that the FAFSA delay would be unpredictably long, 蘑菇传媒 had the foresight to create an aggressively bold financial aid strategy to stay ahead of the game.

Thus, 蘑菇传媒鈥檚 All-In for Iowa programs were launched 鈥� featuring full-tuition scholarships for first-time Iowa students. The first program 鈥� 蘑菇传媒鈥檚 $100K Promise 鈥� provides full-tuition for all students with an adjusted gross family income of $100,000 or less.

In conjunction with the $100K Promise, 蘑菇传媒 last year also launched the 99 County Full-Tuition Scholarship program, which is designed to ensure that at least one student from every Iowa county can attend 蘑菇传媒 tuition free.

鈥溎⒐酱�媒鈥檚 All-In for Iowa full-tuition scholarships are incredibly attractive and reassuring to families,鈥� said Leigh Mlodzik, vice president for Enrollment. 鈥淩ather than having to worry about FAFSA delays this past year, families could enjoy peace of mind about affordability and focus instead on the distinctive advantages and value 蘑菇传媒 provides.鈥�

蘑菇传媒鈥檚 $100K Promise is actually an updated version of the original 蘑菇传媒 Promise, which debuted in 2018 with a qualifying threshold of $60,000 or less adjusted gross income.

鈥淲e far exceeded our expectations when we rolled out the 蘑菇传媒 Promise [in 2018],鈥� said Tracie Pavon, longtime assistant vice president for Enrollment and Financial Aid. 鈥淲e knew that making the jump to $100K came with some calculated risk, but it鈥檚 worth it. I鈥檓 just excited we can offer this opportunity to students who didn鈥檛 think they could access a 蘑菇传媒 education.鈥�

Packaged together in an aggressive All-In for Iowa marketing campaign, the $100K 蘑菇传媒 Promise and 99 County Full-Tuition Scholarship Program quickly drew attention.

鈥淥ne of the most important things these programs did for us was to raise brand awareness for 蘑菇传媒,鈥� said Mlodzik. 鈥淭he All-In for Iowa campaign has allowed us to tie affordability back to 蘑菇传媒 and get our name back out there in a more prominent way.鈥�

The strategy has made an instant impact. Together, 蘑菇传媒鈥檚 $100K Promise and 99 County full-tuition scholarships drove significant gains in students enrolling from Iowa. 蘑菇传媒鈥檚 Fall 2024 first-year class features 75 percent of students from Iowa 鈥� up from 71 percent last year and 68 percent two years ago. In all, 31 states are represented in 蘑菇传媒鈥檚 new incoming class, which includes 28 percent students of color 鈥� a four-percentage point increase over last year. Overall, total full-time undergraduate enrollment for Fall 2024 increased to 1,201 鈥� a 10 percent gain over 2023-24.

The surge in enrollment is accompanied by related good news. Net tuition revenue per student is the highest it鈥檚 been in recent history. Meanwhile, first-year to second-year retention is up five percentage points to 81.3 percent, which is also the strongest showing in more than a decade. Finally, the academic profile of the incoming class remains strong with the average GPA still above 3.5. The momentum is palpable.

鈥淭here is tremendous excitement about what is happening at 蘑菇传媒,鈥� said President Jay Byers. 鈥淚t starts with outstanding faculty and staff who are personally invested in seeing students thrive. Moreover, our investments in facilities and programs to enhance thestudent experience, along with our ever-increasing commitment to maximizing access and affordability is making all the difference. We are proud to lead the way in making a great education affordable for all qualified students, regardless of economic circumstances.鈥�

Staying on Offense

Seeking to maintain momentum, 蘑菇传媒 has unveiled two new, fulltuition programs for Fall 2025, targeting high-achieving students from local public schools. Introduced as the 鈥淚ndianola Community School District and Des Moines Public Schools Promise,鈥� these programs will make it possible for students with a 3.5 GPA or higher to attend 蘑菇传媒 tuition free. Like all other programs under the All-In for Iowa umbrella, the scholarships are renewable each year.

鈥淭hese scholarships will be huge in helping us compete for the strongest students right in our backyard,鈥� said Mlodzik. 鈥淲e鈥檙e already up 50 percent in admitted students from Des Moines Public Schools, and there is great enthusiasm among Indianola students and their families, as well.鈥�

Buzz about the new scholarships for outstanding Indianola and DMPS students has been fueled by high levels of social media engagement and widespread media coverage, which included glowing endorsements from Indianola and DMPS leadership.

鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting,鈥� Des Moines East High School Principal Jill Versteeg told WHO-TV news. 鈥淸蘑菇传媒鈥檚 scholarships] create an opportunity that rewards students for how hard they have worked and helps them see a future that they maybe didn鈥檛 think they had.鈥�

The positive publicity and growing word-of-mouth touting 蘑菇传媒鈥檚 All-In for Iowa full-tuition scholarships are helping people get past the barrier of tuition sticker shock to discover the true cost and value of a 蘑菇传媒 education.

鈥淚f we can get prospective students here, they fall in love 鈥� and then they come to 蘑菇传媒,鈥� said Pavon. 鈥淭hey see the value of their education and life outside of the classroom and take heart knowing they can afford it.鈥�

蘑菇传媒 Promise Becomes Family Gift

Initially, 蘑菇传媒 was not a top choice for Araceli Tapetillo 鈥�26. She simply assumed, like too many others also do, that a private college education is just too expensive. But she kept an open mind, heeding the counsel of her mom to 鈥渇ind the best college.鈥� So began her surprising journey.

鈥淚 didn’t think of 蘑菇传媒 until one of my friends told me they were applying here,鈥� said Tapetillo. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥榦kay, I’ll see what this is about.鈥� So, I came on a beautiful October day and thought this environment seems nice.鈥�

Still, Tapetillo worried about the financial feasibility of attending 蘑菇传媒. Her fears vanished when she received her financial aid offer detailing a full-tuition scholarship made possible by the 蘑菇传媒 Promise.

鈥淚 believed that going to college I would graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in debt,鈥� said Tapetillo. 鈥淲hen I found out all of my tuition would be covered, it was surreal.鈥�

With tuition worries gone, the Ottumwa, Iowa, native grew confident about choosing 蘑菇传媒.

鈥淭he combination of financial aid, the opportunity to run cross country and track, and to have a small community feel close to Des Moines and not too far from home made 蘑菇传媒 the perfect package for me,鈥� she said.

Majoring in elementary education and liberal arts while minoring in math and Spanish, Tapetillo is making the most of her educational experience. In addition to competing in varsity sports, she holds several leadership positions on campus, including as a residence hall community advisor (CA).

Tapetillo says thriving at 蘑菇传媒 is a way to honor and thank her mom for all the sacrifices she made and for teaching her the powerful value of education. The 蘑菇传媒 Promise has eased family financial burdens enough to help Tapetillo鈥檚 mom continue her pursuit of a nursing degree at Mercy College.

鈥淢y mom and I wouldn’t be able to further our studies without support from 蘑菇传媒 and its donors,鈥� said Tapetillo. 鈥淎nd without 蘑菇传媒, I wouldn’t have as many opportunities to take on leadership roles, participate in a college sport, and to find a community that I genuinely love 鈥� one that is pushing me and makes me feel like I belong. I’m not sure I would have ever gotten all this at a bigger university or college.鈥�