How Frostburg State University Improved Family Engagement and Reduced Enrollment Melt with Mongoose Text

Overview

Frostburg State University (FSU), a regional public university in Maryland, serves over 4,000 degree-seeking students. Like many campuses, FSU faced challenges in student retention, supporting first-generation students, and streamlining its admissions processes while operating within budget constraints.

By leveraging Mongoose Text, FSU enhanced family engagement, strengthened school partnerships, and improved parent involvement to ensure a smoother transition for students and families navigating the admissions process​.

This case study explores how implementing Mongoose Text helped FSU enhance family involvement, increase student retention, and improve student outcomes through targeted communication and outreach.

The Challenge: Addressing Enrollment Melt and Family Involvement

Like many campuses, FSU faced a significant challenge with first-year students experiencing enrollment melt. Many students—particularly first-generation students—needed extra support to navigate financial aid applications, submit required forms like FAFSA, and feel confident in their college decision.

Additionally, FSU recognized the importance of family engagement strategies in boosting student achievement and ensuring student success. However, reaching parents and family members with timely, relevant information was a hurdle.

Without a clear parent engagement strategy, important details about children’s education, school events, and financial processes were sometimes missed, leading to delays and drop-offs in enrollment.

The Solution: Implementing a Family Engagement Strategy with Mongoose

To address these challenges, FSU partnered with Mongoose and utilized their text messaging platform to enhance parent involvement and improve the overall student experience.

Key elements of the strategy included:

• Targeted Outreach: Sending direct, conversational texts to both students and their family members at key drop-off points in the admissions process.
• Parent Communication: Breaking down complex admissions jargon to make it more accessible for families.
• Building Relationships: Creating stronger connections between students, parents, and school leaders through regular, clear communication.
• Engaging Families: Using SMS reminders to encourage parents to participate in virtual info sessions and school events related to financial aid and admissions.

By implementing this approach, FSU was able to reduce summer melt and provide more effective support to students and their families​.

The Outcome: Positive Impact on Student Retention and Parent Engagement

FSU saw measurable improvements in enrollment and family engagement following the introduction of Mongoose Text.

Key outcomes included:

• A 3% reduction in student melt for the incoming class of 2022​.
• Increased parent involvement and participation in financial aid and admissions processes.
• Enhanced school community collaboration through better communication between families and school leaders.
• More accessible information for first-generation students, ensuring they had the resources to navigate their first-year successfully.

These results demonstrate the high-impact benefits of a structured parent engagement strategy. By prioritizing effective family engagement, FSU improved both student learning and overall student outcomes​.

Pro Tip: Curious about how to have conversations that drive enrollment, improve retention, and grow giving? Learn more in The State of Higher Ed Messaging Benchmark Report for 4-Year Institutions.

Key Takeaways for Other Campuses

For other campuses looking to strengthen family engagement strategies, the FSU case provides several important lessons:

1. Prioritize Parent Communication – Parents play a critical role in children’s education. Clear, jargon-free messaging helps them feel more engaged.
2. Use Technology for Outreach – SMS is a simple yet powerful tool for ensuring timely updates reach parents and students.
3. Encourage Parents to Get Involved – Hosting webinars, Q&A sessions, and extracurricular activities helps foster a supportive school culture.
4. Leverage Data for Improvement – Tracking metrics related to engagement and enrollment helps refine future initiatives.

By focusing on engagement strategies, institutions can create a more inclusive school community, leading to better academic progress and improved learning outcomes.

Download the Full Case Study

Want to learn more about how Frostburg State University successfully reduced melt and improved family engagement? Download the full case study now to explore their approach and see how your institution can benefit from similar initiatives.

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