Texas State hits record enrollment

By MATTHEW THOMPSON

SAN MARCOS, TX - Enrollment at Texas State University hit a record high this year. According to a letter by President Denise Trauth, the number of students currently attending has risen 3.5 percent since last year, with a total of 36,700 students.

These numbers would make Texas State the fourth-largest university in Texas, putting it behind only Texas A&M University, University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Houston.

The increase in enrollment is good news for the university financially as well. Not only is the university receiving increased tuition from the higher number of students, but it is also receiving a higher number in grants, including a $15 million grant from NASA.

Abigail Flint
Photo by Evelyn Burton

Although these new numbers are good news for the university, not everyone is celebrating. Some students are finding the larger crowd problematic.

“ ... the halls are now more packed and it is hard to walk to class fast, and due to this, I am always running late,” said Bianca Herrejon, a sophomore at Texas State. “The cafeteria and the classrooms are now more packed and it’s hard to find seats to sit in.”

While some are finding it hard to find a seat in class, others are unaware of the increase in enrollment.

Abigail Flint, a freshman at Texas State, said she wasn’t really aware of the growing number of students because she is just a freshman.

Luke Garza
Photo by Marco Lozano

Several students have commented on not only the crowds in the hallways, but also expressed concerns about the transportation provided by the university. Buses typically have full seats with the middle isle packed with standing students.

“It’s much harder to make it to class on time,” said Senior Luke Garza. “Especially because of how crowded all the buses are.”

Not everyone is complaining though. Many students are praising the high number of enrollment because diversity is also up, and that is another plus for the school.

“I think diversity is always a good thing. Talking about bio-diversity or social-diversity,” said Senior Josiah Reese. “I mean it’s a wealth of information, knowledge, and perspective that comes from all sorts of different backgrounds, so I think it’s a good thing.”

Josiah Reese
Photo by Elysia  Cowle

With extra students comes the need for extra space to contain the new numbers while offering the same level of education. However students are unclear on how the university will accomplish this. So when asked if the university should continue to grow, students are separated.

“I don’t see why not,” said Sean Berg, a student at Texas State. “I have nothing against it. I just don’t see a lot of space for us to do so.”

A big question on the mind of potential students when choosing a college is whether or not size matters.

“I really like the ‘small’ feel,” said Senior Brittany Hill.

Some students might enjoy the smaller student size now, but if the growth trend continues, it might not last much longer.