Virginia Tech expects to welcome its largest freshman class this fall.
The school expects its 2019 freshman class to have about 7,500 students, breaking its previous record 2017 freshman class size of 6,836, the Roanoke Times reports.
The Blacksburg school has dropped its on-campus housing requirement for first-years in anticipation.
University spokesman Mark Owczarski says more students decided to attend the school than anticipated. Engineering education professor Marie Paretti wrote a letter to the Tech Faculty Senate saying the larger class size should've been expected, as per faculty predictions shared with administrators.
Paretti says the increase in students will strain the area. Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith says the town is braced for growth, but she is concerned about its ability to house and transport the growing student population.
