Shorelight to drive international students to New Hampshire

The University of New Hampshire has teamed up with third-party student recruiter Shorelight on UNH International, an initiative expected to drive international student enrollments and boost retention at the institution.

Through the initiative, Shorelight will connect prospective international students with opportunities at the institution, offering them pathways to its many undergraduate and graduate courses.

The firm’s industry-leading technology also provides international students with the necessary support to drive success, helping them navigate everything from the admissions process to managing class schedules.

“We are thrilled to join with the University of New Hampshire, the state’s flagship public research institution, to bring their exceptional academic offerings to international students across the globe, and to bring world-class international students to New Hampshire for a transformative university experience,” said Shorelight CEO Tom Dretler in a statement.

“Student success is at the heart of everything we do, and we know that UNH will provide a combination of high demand degree programmes and a unique student experience that will enable international students to thrive,” he added.

For UNH, the partnership offers the university the opportunity to diversify its student body and bring its programmes to the international student community.

“We pride ourselves on our commitment to pursuing academic excellence and research that contributes to the greater good, and we are eager to work with Shorelight to share that commitment with top international students from across the world,” said UNH Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs Wayne Jones.

“Our many academically rigorous degree programmes are in high demand both nationally and globally, and we look forward to maximising this opportunity to broaden the community of students we reach, and expand our global footprint.”

As an independent student recruiter and international education facilitator, Shorelight Education connects international students interested in an American collegiate experience with universities across the country. 

Once controversial, the services proffered by private contractors like Shorelight are now increasingly in demand as US universities contend with the prospect of declining enrollments and an increasingly competitive higher education marketplace.

The isolationist policies of the Trump administration are often blamed for the lack of new foreign student enrollments in US institutions. This is certainly a key contributor but there are other demographic factors influencing these numbers too, such as the shrinking size of the college-age cohort around the world.

In addition, the growing popularity of other education destinations outside the US such as Canada, Australia and countries in Asia also adds to the slide in US enrollments. 

Against such a backdrop, the country’s institutions are seeing value in seeking the help of recruiter firms like Shorelight to drive up international student enrollments.

And according to several reports, these partnerships are doing their job of delivering value. 

Chicago Business reported last year that the University of Illinois at Chicago’s international student enrollments played a major role in lifting overall enrollments at the institution. Shorelight’s efforts were credited for driving the numbers.

This August, the University of Dayton reported that enrollments for the class of 2023 were at a record-high, with the growth credited in part to the increase in international students and the institution’s partnership with Shorelight.

Shorelight is expected to deliver the same or similar numbers for the UNH, whose partnership with the firm adds to a quickly-growing list of institutional partners.

Apart from UNH, UIC and Dayton, Shorelight’s partners include Adelphi University, American University, Auburn University, Cleveland State University, Florida International University, and Louisiana State University, Mercer University, UCLA Extension, University of Central Florida, University of Kansas, University of Massachusetts Boston, University of Mississippi, University of South Carolina, University of the Pacific, and the University of Utah.