How Loyola New Orleans Enrolled 355 Students Late in the Cycle

Key takeaways

• Loyola University New Orleans enrolled 355 students with LRAP.
• The strategy focused on disengaged admits, not new inquiries.
• LRAP can strengthen an offer late in the cycle.

 
When students stop responding, many institutions move on.

Loyola University New Orleans did not.

Instead of trying to generate more inquiries late in the cycle, Loyola focused on in-state, non-athletes who had stopped engaging and strengthened the offer while decisions were still being made. The result was 355 students enrolled with LRAP.
 

What Loyola did

Loyola used a targeted LRAP strategy to focus on students who were still in the funnel but no longer actively engaging.

That distinction matters. Late in the cycle, the problem is often not awareness. It is hesitation.

Rather than chase new inquiry volume or discount further, Loyola strengthened the offer for a group many institutions might have written off, helping them enroll 355 students with LRAPs.
 

What an LRAP is

An LRAP, or Loan Repayment Assistance Program, is a financial safety net that helps repay student loans after graduation if income is modest.

For students and families, that can reduce the perceived risk of borrowing. And late in the cycle, that matters. Many students are not deciding between institutions on interest alone. They are deciding whether the financial risk feels manageable.
 

Why this matters late in the cycle

By this stage, many traditional levers are already under pressure. Aid budgets may be tight. Marketing channels are overtaxed. New inquiry generation may not convert fast enough. Students still deciding are often weighing cost, debt, and return on investment.

That is why Loyola’s strategy is smart. LRAP is a practical way to strengthen the offer for students who may still enroll but need more confidence to move forward.
 

Q&A

1. What is an LRAP?
   An LRAP, or Loan Repayment Assistance Program, helps repay student loans after graduation if income is modest. It is a financial safety net that enables enrollment, not a loan.
2. What did Loyola do differently?
   Loyola focused on in-state, non-athletes who had stopped engaging and used LRAP to strengthen the offer instead of relying on new inquiries or last-minute discounting.
3. What result did Loyola see?
   Loyola University New Orleans enrolled 355 students with LRAP.
4. Why is this relevant late in the cycle?
   Because many traditional levers are already exhausted by then. LRAP can help address hesitation when students are still deciding.
5. Do other institutions leverage LRAP in similar ways?
   Yes, institutions like Bradley University, Whitworth University, Eastern Michigan University and more use LRAPs to increase yield late in the cycle. Read more about late cycle usage.