Amid FAFSA Crisis, Enrollment of 18-Year-Old Freshmen Fell Sharply This Fall

Enrollment of 18-year-old freshmen declined by 5 percent this fall compared with last year, according to new analysis from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC). That drop marked a reversal from last fall, when the number of incoming 18-year-olds — a proxy for students enrolling right after high school — increased by 3 percent. Those numbers come from an analysis commissioned by the National College Attainment Network, known as NCAN, which sought a clearer picture of enrollment outcomes for recent high-school graduates following a tumultuous admissions and financial-aid cycle. Though the full impact of the calamitous rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is difficult to pin down, the new data provide a snapshot of a sharp one-year drop-off among a crucial subgroup of students hit especially hard by the federal-aid crisis.