Alva Review-Courier -

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State University is still working to increase enrollment despite challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

Enrollment at the Manhattan campus has been declining for the past five years or so, and the student body hit a 20-year low in fall 2019 with only about 21,700 students, The Manhattan Mercury reported.

To turn things around, the university is offering virtual tours to prospective students in April and May, which is typically the busiest time of the year for campus visits.

During virtual visits, students can talk over Zoom with admissions counselors and representatives from different programs.

But enrollment management Vice Provost Karen Goos told the newspaper that students won't get the same sense of the university's culture through a virtual visit as they would walking around campus. She said she's looking forward to students returning to the university once the risk of spreading COVID-19 is over.

"It's a beautiful campus, and you get a feel for campus and the Manhattan community," she said.

Goos said many younger high school students are postponing campus visits, and she expects more visits in the fall compared to other years.

She said there's also been an increase in students with more free time on their hands who are checking out college options.