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Building Early Belonging and Higher Enrollment Yield at HBCUs

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have long been recognized as leaders in creating strong community ties, fostering a sense of belonging, and opening doors to new opportunities for their students. The recent partnership between Raftr and Ed Advancement is shining a light on how such institutions can bolster their student engagement strategies during the critical enrollment period.

Insights from the Raftr and Ed Advancement Partnership

The collaboration between Raftr and Ed Advancement, initiated in 2023, has already shown encouraging results after running for three consecutive enrollment cycles. The findings indicate that HBCUs leveraging this partnership experienced enrollment yields that were two to three times higher among admitted students who engaged with the Raftr platform compared to those who did not. This highlights the formidable power of connection and community building during the enrollment decision-making process.

The focus of the partnership is to enhance the digital capabilities of HBCUs, allowing for improved community interaction that helps students feel purposeful and connected as they navigate their enrollment choices. This comes at a crucial time, as research from RAND illustrates a troubling trend where many prospective college students disengage before formal enrollment, with studies indicating that nearly two-thirds of applicants vanish between submitting their application and confirming their attendance.

Building Relationships for Greater Enrollment

So far, the impact of this partnership has been substantial. In the latest enrollment cycles, activity within the Raftr application saw a dramatic increase, with in-app and chat interactions more than doubling year over year. The platform reported an average of over 9,100 active monthly users, contributing to more than 21,600 sessions monthly. This upsurge signifies an increasing reliance on Raftr for students to connect, communicate, and access valuable resources during their enrollment journey.

Notably, the partnership has resulted in nearly 90% of partner HBCUs deciding to renew their commitment to Raftr, reflecting a clear recognition of its institutional value and durability in the long run. This transition to institutional funding points to a solid framework laid out to enhance student experiences and bolster opportunity at these schools.

The Journey Towards Enrollment Success

Jim Runcie, CEO and Co-Founder of Ed Advancement, emphasizes the mission of the partnership: to support HBCUs in expanding opportunities and enhancing the student experience. The early trends demonstrated by Raftr reflect the ongoing commitment by these institutions to implement innovative digital strategies that engage and support admitted students and their families.

The past three years have seen nearly 90,000 students engaging with Raftr, resulting in over 22 million in-app actions, which indicate widespread adoption of the platform among HBCU students. Communication remains a vital aspect of this engagement, as students utilized the chat feature over 122,000 times, confirming its position as the platform’s most frequented functionality.

The findings illustrate a strong return on investment concerning early student engagement, with those who activated their Raftr accounts achieving measurable enrollment increases. This incremental tuition revenue significantly offsets the cost of Raftr for partnering institutions.

Several HBCUs have announced record enrollment levels in conjunction with the partnership. These results are a testament to the effective strategies employed to foster connection, belonging, and engagement during the enrollment process.

Conclusion: A Collective Effort

In summary, the collaboration between Raftr and Ed Advancement has significantly bolstered early engagement among HBCU students, emphasizing the importance of relationships formed throughout the enrollment journey. By contacting students earlier in their decision-making processes, utilizing community-centric communication, and gathering insights to continuously refine their approaches, these institutions have successfully scaled efforts to create a sense of belonging across the entire enrollment experience.

For more information about how Raftr fosters student engagement and enhances enrollment, visit www.raftr.com.

About Ed Advancement

Founded in 2018, Ed Advancement is dedicated to strengthening HBCUs and other purpose-driven institutions by providing scalable operations and technology-driven solutions that enhance enrollment and student success.

About Raftr

Raftr serves as a community-building platform tailored for higher education institutions, focusing on establishing early belonging, enhancing communication, and providing actionable insights aimed at increasing enrollment and supporting student achievement.