PIERRE S.D.
Enrollment in South Dakota’s six state-owned universities increased 4 percent this fall, setting another record, the state Board of Regents announced Tuesday.
Tad Perry, the board’s executive director, said 32,148 students are taking classes in the public university system this fall. That’s up 1,247 students from a year ago.
Enrollment has grown steadily the past decade, increasing more than 6,400 students since 1997, he said.
Even though the number of high school graduates is declining in South Dakota and surrounding states, university enrollment is climbing because of state scholarships, programs aimed at keeping students in school, and the recruitment of older students and those from other states, Perry said.
The state’s Opportunity Scholarship, which gives scholarships totaling $5,000 over four years to South Dakota students who meet academic requirements and take a required list of rigorous high school courses, has played a big role in encouraging students to attend South Dakota’s public and private schools, Perry said.
The amount awarded in the scholarship likely will need to be increased because universities in surrounding states are aggressively recruiting South Dakota students and offering them scholarships, he said.
