Pitt-Johnstown community members may notice fewer new students this academic year, as freshmen enrollment has decreased to 620 students this year from as high as more than 800 in previous years.

The need to keep new student enrollment up may not provide an easy solution, but we are confident that one can be found through teamwork and collaboration.

When making a decision that would affect enrollment numbers, President Jem Spectar should utilize our resource rich community and look to others for suggestions.

Committed, visionary leaders who are dedicated to making the school a great place to learn and grow will naturally bring new students into the fold.

If we are struggling, we may need to reexamine aspects where we need to challenge ourselves and other leaders to accomplish more in our roles as an academic community.

Looking at Pitt-Johnstown outside with an entrepreneurial mindset may help boost enrollment while setting up a place for the next generation to not only succeed, but to thrive.

In today’s economy, it can be difficult — or even next to impossible — to be able to afford a college education.

Utilized effectively, financial aid is a tool that can maximize tuition revenue and enrollment.

While administrators may want to enroll more full-pay families, tuition discounting can help fill empty seats.

By gaining revenue that would potentially be lost, the school’s enrollment could grow instead.

Another solution would be to increase the admission counselor salary. Salaries do retain those who get their initial experience here. 

A push toward more aggressive recruiting would be an improvement.

While we may not discover how to achieve full enrollment overnight, implementing these strategies, could be a starting point for progress and increased enrollment numbers that assure the Pitt-Johnstown community a viable future.