UM System President Mun Choi announced at the April Board of Curators meeting 5,124 incoming freshmen have made deposits to MU, up 20.9% from the same time last year.

“Mizzou is back,” Choi said confidently.

Additionally, freshman applications to MU are also up 5% from April 2018 to April 8, 2019.

The growth rates have slowed since Choi previously announced them at a February Board of Curators meeting. At the time, Choi said applications were up 5.7% and deposits were up 37% from February 2018.

In response to the increase in application and deposit rates, the curators approved a proposal from the Finance Committee to allow for up to three potential leased properties to be used as MU housing if needed.

The growth comes after a major drop in freshman enrollment, which began in 2016 following campus protests in 2015. Three residence halls: Discovery, Responsibility and Center were closed in 2017 due to low enrollment numbers. Discovery and Center have now reopened, and Responsibility is being leased by MU Health Care for administrative offices.

_Edited by Janae McKenzie | jmckenzie@themaneater.com_