Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News
Wright State University will be offering additional financial aid to students who qualify this fall.
On Friday, university trustees approved about $14.5 million in federal funds that will go to students who demonstrate financial need. It will be distributed similarly to earlier programs that Wright State undertook last year and earlier this year, said Kim Everhart, director of Wright State financial aid. She noted more people will likely be eligible for the funds this time around.
Trustees also approved the 2021-22 fiscal year budget, which includes $1,000 scholarships for first-year students who recently graduated from high school.
The university said about 34% of recent high school graduates would be eligible for the funds.
“Included in this budget, we are focusing on providing students with additional financial assistance,” said Wright State president Sue Edwards, who announced the plans during the trustee’s meeting. “Finance is one of our students’ greatest hurdles to success.”
Wright State has seen about a 30% decline in enrollment overall in the last five years, according to the university. But attracting first-year students has been a particular problem: First-year undergraduate student enrollment has declined by 53% since 2015.
