LA MIRADA, CALIF. — Biola University is introducing an incentivized campaign that offers one first-prize winner a full four-year tuition scholarship, nearly a $40,000 yearly expense waived for their time at Biola. Three other winners will win two Disneyland Believe Key passes — one for them and one for a friend.

To be eligible for the grand prize of a full-ride, students must submit their application to Biola by Dec. 1, 2021. As an extra incentive to apply early, if students applied by the Nov. 15 early-decision deadline, they will be notified about their acceptance to Biola by Jan. 15, 2022.

“The goal of this program is to attract and enroll more incoming students, to help them see the potential a Biola education could bring them and in so doing, help make up for declines in enrollment the last two years due to COVID-19,” said Lee Wilhite, Vice President of Enrollment, Marketing and Communications.

Quick Facts

  • Biola saw a decrease in applications by 39% on average since 2018, with the pandemic contributing to the lower application numbers in the more recent years.

  • Lower application numbers resulted in a lower average enrollment overall by 7%, which is why the incentive was developed.

  • Overall college enrollment fell to 16.9 million students in spring 2021, down more than 600,000 students from a year ago, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC). That one-year decline of 3.5% is the largest spring semester enrollment decrease since 2011, according to the NSCRC report on Spring 2021.

  • Biola has never before offered such grand prizes as part of the enrollment process. The incentivized application deadline is a push to have students apply to Biola, as applications are the first step toward enrollment.

Biola University is a leading Christ-centered university in Southern California that offers a premier, nationally ranked education and has been named one of the nation's “up and coming” universities by U.S. News & World Report four times in five years. Founded in 1908, Biola is committed to the mission of biblically centered education, scholarship and service — equipping men and women in mind and character to impact the world for the Lord Jesus Christ. With more than 6,300 students at its Los Angeles-area campus and around the world, the university offers more than 150 academic programs through its nine schools, ranging from the B.A. to the Ph.D. For more information, visit www.biola.edu.