FIU offers $1.1 million in scholarships at Fall Open Houses

As part of a broader strategy to recruit more high-achieving students to FIU, the university recently extended scholarship offers in excess of $1.1 million to 61 high school seniors who earned on-the-spot admission at Open House events last month. The students were admitted and awarded four-year scholarships beginning in Fall 2014.

Nearly 1,000 people showed up for the events, including approximately 450 students.

“We are thrilled to offer this opportunity to the best and the brightest in our community,” says Vice President of Enrollment Services Luisa Havens. “We want to be partners with counselors and parents in assisting students with the important decision-making process that is choosing the right college. We want to show them that FIU is here to assist them and to reward their academic excellence.”

Offering on-the-spot admission to students who qualify and bring the required documentation is not new to FIU. But those opportunities were reserved previously for smaller-scale recruitment receptions in a specific school or city. This is the first time FIU has tried the tactic at a large-scale event.

“By bringing on-the-spot admission to Open House, we are opening up these opportunities to more qualified students” says Dolores Medina, assistant director of Undergraduate Admissions.

As part of the strategy, from now until Nov. 1 the university is only admitting students who meet the criteria for a scholarship. (Those students will be offered scholarships.) Previously, the university didn’t begin awarding scholarships until February or March.

“We know that these students are going to be applying to other universities,” says Medina. “We want to be the first ones to extend an offer to them. We believe it will help them make a more informed choice.”