New Orleans, La. - Xavier University of Louisiana’s recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is well on its way to completion – bolstered by an encouraging increase in enrollment for the fall semester, good press, and the infusion of federal low interest loans.

Xavier received another “green light” on its road to recovery when 670 freshmen – a 50 percent increase over last year’s class – enrolled for the 2007 fall semester. That influx of new students pushed the University’s current overall enrollment to more than 3,100 students, larger than last fall and holding steady at three-quarters of its pre-Katrina student population.

“It’s very gratifying to see students from across the nation are showing renewed interest in attending Xavier despite the pace of progress with overall recovery in New Orleans,” said President Norman Francis, attributing the sustained interest to the University’s continuing national reputation for excellence and leadership in the math and science fields – especially biology, pre-med and pharmacy – combined with a solid liberal arts core curriculum.

Last year’s freshman class – the first recruiting class following the University’s reopening in January ’06 – had 447 members, less than half of the last pre-Katrina freshman class that was more than 1,000 strong. However, enrollment was down not just for Xavier, but also at every other college in the New Orleans area.

Video- "After Katrina: Rebuilding Xavier" runs 6 minutes - click on video to view full screen

At the time, Francis attributed much of the decline to what he called the ‘mama factor’ post-Katrina; namely, continued parental concerns about the city of New Orleans' recovery as well assafety issues. Although University officials had some reason to fear a repeat of that scenario in 2007, they are encouraged by the numbers.

Winston Brown, dean of admissions for Xavier, said bouncing back from the freshman enrollment rut will be the key to getting student enrollment back to the university's expectations. He said he expects enrollment numbers to reach the pre-Katrina incoming freshman level of 950 students within the next two school years.

"The increase is a gradual thing before people gain more confidence in the area," said Brown. "All the things college students need have been restored and are here in the area."

Although 2006’s small freshman class will continue to be a factor influencing the University’s overall enrollment for several years to come, Xavier officials expect to see increased numbers of freshman with each passing year as Katrina becomes less of an issue, and getting a quality education becomes more so.

“We have never compromised our commitment to academic excellence despite Katrina’s toll," said Francis, noting that the University has graduated nearly 1,200 students since Katrina. "Our students continue to compete and excel in the sciences as well as in business and liberal arts.”

That assessment corresponds with the news that the University has once again received the endorsement of two prominent, annual college rating publications: The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.

Xavier was singled out as one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education by The Princeton Review, in the 2008 edition of its annual guide, "The Best 366 Colleges,” as well as garnering inclusion in U.S. News as one of “America’s Best Colleges” in the 2008 edition of its widely-read and popular annual college guide. Xavier was ranked 36th on the publication’s list of the "Best Universities - Master's" from the southern region of the United States.

In addition, the July 2007 “Top 100 Degree Producers” issue of Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine confirmed Xavier’s continued pre-eminence as the nation’s top producer of African-American graduates in the biological, biomedical and physical sciences. Xavier also remains first in the nation in placing African-Americans into medical schools - a position it has held since 1993. It is also among the top producer of African American PharmD. graduates.
 
The University’s recovery efforts also got a major financial boost when the U.S. Department of Education declared Xavier eligible for $165 million in low-interest loans -- part of a nearly $400 million federal assist to the four Historically Black Colleges and Universities impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

While noting that repairs to the campus are 99 percent complete, Francis said the loans will nevertheless have long-term benefits for the University, noting that the funds will greatly impact Xavier’s future renovation and construction projects.

That infusion of federal dollars bolsters the already strong support that Xavier has received from private sources including individual donors, as well as corporations and foundations.

“We remain optimistic and confident about our future for good reason: namely, the support we have already received from our loyal alumni, as well as other individuals, private corporations and foundations - all of whom understand the need and importance for Xavier to sustain its mission,” said Francis.