Innovation & Growth, University News
With college selection season looming, CSP is announcing expansions to its ongoing efforts to make higher education more accessible to all. Affordable access to a four-year degree is an essential foundational element of CSP’s commitment to greater equity of opportunity for people of all backgrounds.
As such, CSP is announcing an expanded set of affordability initiatives to help prospective students as they finalize their higher education plans for the 2023-24 academic year. The expanded options for incoming first-year students and transfer students include:
- Broader eligibility under the CSP Pell Commitment. This program provides a full tuition guarantee for incoming first-year students as well as transferring Minnesota residents who are eligible for a Pell Grant. CSP, one of the largest providers to Pell-eligible students than all other Minnesota private colleges. The Pell Commitment extends CSP’s focus on making a private university accessible to more students by removing financial barriers that make a private education out of reach for too many.
- Increased transfer merit scholarships. Revised for Fall 2023, transfer scholarship opportunities will range from $1,000-$10,000, which will align with scholarship amounts available to first-year students. The expanded transfer opportunities will help those students who want to continue their college aspirations, but their initial college of choice may not fit their actual needs.
- Availability and eligibility for CSP Diversity Scholarships. CSP continues to expand the diversity of our student population through purposeful, meaningful scholarships. CSP’s robust push to attract students of different backgrounds includes efforts to reach students who come from first-generation US households, students participating in college readiness programs, and other sources. Our scholarships align with the needs of many families and individuals, opening new doors for private university experiences.
- Low tuition increase for 2023-24. With prices of everything from fuel to food exploding, CSP is holding the line on its affordable tuition, particularly in comparison to other private universities in Minnesota. With an approved 2-percent increase in tuition for the upcoming academic year, CSP tuition comes in well below inflation rates and ensuring CSP remains the most affordable value among Minnesota’s private colleges.
The upcoming academic year will mark the 10th anniversary of CSP’s revolutionary “Tuition Reset,” which was among the first of its kind nationally, setting the framework used by other colleges and universities. The reset led to a doubling in enrollment at CSP overall and put the university on its trajectory to become Minnesota’s second largest private college.
“The significant reduction in tuition enacted nearly a decade ago is the cornerstone of CSP’s leadership in affordability both then and today,” noted Dr. Eric LaMott, provost and COO for CSP. “We offer high value, career-relevant undergraduate and graduate degree programs that help make our students more attractive and more valuable to employers of all types. Affordability also helps our students graduate with lower student loan debt, which helps free them to focus on life goals outside of paying off their college loans.”
CSP recently announced final enrollment figures for the start of the current academic year. The university recorded its third-highest overall enrollment in its 120+ year history. In addition, CSP increased its global education network by netting record enrollment for international students from 41 countries. The university has also seen significant increases in overall enrollment for graduate students, including those seeking masters and doctoral degrees.