The Richard Bland College of William & Mary, a public junior college in Petersburg governed by the William & Mary Board of Visitors, announced it has surpassed enrollment expectations by five years.
Enrollment at Richard Bland College is up 36 percent after final fall 2015 enrollment numbers were calculated, putting the school at more than 2,100 students. The Richard Bland College strategic plan set a goal of 2,000 students enrolled by 2019.
“At a time when more and more families are seeking the very best value for their higher education dollar, our enrollment numbers indicate that Richard Bland College is a preferred choice for a high quality, affordable education,” Richard Bland College President Debbie L. Sydow said in a news release.
While enrollment numbers are rising at Richard Bland College, so are the quality of students enrolling in the school. Fall 2015 enrollment numbers also show a 163 percent increase in honor students, which students carrying GPAs of 3.5 or higher.
Additionally, Richard Bland College also awarded a record-breaking amount of financial aid to its students, totaling out are more than $577,000 in scholarships. This number is a massive increase from the 2014-15 figure of $208,000 in scholarship money.
“Scholarships create opportunities for RBC students to pursue their education without going into debt,” said Tyler Hart, the Richard Bland College dean of enrollment. “The RBC Foundation and its many generous donors deserve a lot of credit for stepping up to award more scholarship dollars to more students.”
