Grambling State News

Freshman Class Experiences 42 Percent Growth

GRAMBLING, LA.– Sept. 23, 2020 – Fall enrollment at Grambling State University is 5,438, up 4 percent, fueled by a substantial 42 percent increase in the freshman class.

For students like Jordan Braithwaite, a freshman criminal justice major from St. Louis, Missouri, Grambling State stood out as exceptional at an HBCU fair she attended. Since arriving on campus, she hasn’t been disappointed. The University lives by its motto, “Where Everybody is Somebody,” and no one is left behind, she said.

“The environment we receive as students makes you feel like you’re with your family, which gives us the security to find and simply be ourselves,” she said, adding that she believes faculty and staff are committed to student success.

Fall 2020 marks the sixth consecutive year Grambling State has seen enrollment increases.

“The university has a  20.47 percent increase from 2014 Fall to 2020 fall semester in overall student enrollment,” Registrar Patricia J. Hutcherson said.  “The increase is a result of  collaborative recruitment efforts of the admissions and recruitment team, alumni, faculty and staff; changes in Board of Regents policies regarding minimum admission standard; new academic degree programs and an awesome university leadership team, which embraces student self-service.”

Family legacy also influences many student decisions.

For Christin Briggs, a chemistry major from Detroit, Michigan, her great-aunt Tommie Jean Mason’s stories about her experiences at Grambling State convinced her to choose the University.

“At that moment, listening to her experiences, I said I’m going to Grambling,” Briggs said. “She laughed and told me it would be hard work for me to get here and I was ready to take the challenge on.  An HBCU was always my first choice and I thought what could be better than to come back to my roots in Louisiana. I created a list of what I was looking for in universities and Grambling matched everything. I knew right there Grambling would be the place to cultivate me into the young woman I am becoming.”

Family legacy was important to Connor Roberts, a kinesiology major from Ruston, Louisiana, but a chance to march in Grambling State’s World Famed Band was something he had “waited my whole life for.”

Continued campus improvements, including a digital library and upgraded dining opportunities through SodexoMagic, play a role in recruiting, as do the new, unique majors in cloud computing and cybersecurity.

“It is indeed a great time to be a Tiger! I’m grateful to our admissions and recruitment team for their consistent and passionate work in the midst of COVID,” Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Gourjoine M. Wade said. “Their dedication and hard work never wavered.

“I’m also very appreciative to the parents who entrusted their children to us during this challenging period in their lives, and I want to ensure them that it is an honor we do not take lightly,” Wade said. “Record-breaking new student growth during a global pandemic is proof that HBCUs matter and that Grambling is positioned to be a destination for graduation.”

For interviews and more information about Fall 2020 enrollment, please contact mediarelations@gram.edu.

About Grambling State University

Grambling State University, located in Grambling, Louisiana, is a historically black university founded in 1901 that combines the academic strengths of a major university with the benefits of a small college. This combination enables students to grow and learn in a serene and positive environment. The 590-acre campus offers 43 undergraduate and graduate academic programs. A member of the University of Louisiana System, Grambling State University has been accredited by 13 accrediting associations and holds accreditations in all programs required by the Louisiana Board of Regents. With a longstanding tradition of excellence, Grambling State University continues to emphasize the value and importance of each student, exemplified by our motto: Where Everybody Is Somebody.