BRIDGEWATER, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – Despite the FAFSA rollout delay, Bridgewater College is welcoming nearly 500 new students for the fall semester.

These incoming students are among the first to benefit from BC’s tuition transparency initiative, which resets the published undergraduate price to $15,000 for the 2024-25 academic year.

The number of incoming students includes 67 transfer students, the largest since 2012. Many are coming to Bridgewater from Blue Ridge Community College in nearby Weyers Cave, Va.

“We are thrilled to welcome each one of our new and returning students to the Bridgewater campus this week,” said Dr. Leslie Frere, vice president for student life and dean of students. “This is always an exciting time for us. Our priority is our students, the connections we make with them and the connections they make with each other. Welcoming new students into the Bridgewater family is a privilege and, honestly, a lot of fun!”

One year ago, Bridgewater announced a commitment to transparency about college costs. It changed its published undergraduate tuition price from $40,300 to $15,000. Additionally, 100 percent of incoming first-year, full-time students receive financial assistance.

“We are pleased that our efforts to align our published tuition price with the actual cost of providing a high-quality education resonated with so many students and their families,” said Michael A. Post, vice president for enrollment management.

This year, the College is welcoming 484 new students, including first-year, transfer and graduate students from 218 high schools in 17 states. The majority of BC’s Class of 2028 resides in Virginia (80%), but they are also coming from as far away as California, Connecticut and Georgia.

The top majors for the new class are business administration, health and exercise science, engineering and psychology. The College’s undergraduate engineering program launched a year ago in response to student interest, and has seen a significant increase in interest from applicants and current students.

Other facts about Bridgewater College’s Class of 2028:

Note: This information is based on the best available data.

174 student-athletes are competing in the College’s 23 NCAA Division III intercollegiate teams

39% are first-generation college students

36% of the students are Pell-eligible, which is awarded to students with exceptional financial need

14% are in the College’s Flory Honors program, which requires a strong academic record