FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 04/18/2019

CONTACT:
Michael Newbern, Assistant Director of Public Relations, SCC: michael.newbern@concealedcampus.org

POLITIFACT: Campus Carry Doesn’t Lead to Decreased Enrollment

AUSTIN, TEXAS – An April 16 analysis by PolitiFact found that, of the six states where the licensed, concealed carry of
handguns is allowed in the classrooms of all public colleges and universities, three (Texas, Georgia, and Idaho) have seen
a subsequent increase in enrollment, one (Utah) has seen enrollment fluctuate from year to year, one (Colorado) has
seen enrollment decrease, and one (Arkansas) hasn’t had the law long enough for an analysis to be conducted.

PolitiFact also looked at Mississippi and Oregon, where public colleges can’t criminalize licensed concealed carry but can
prohibit it via school policy; Wisconsin, where licensed concealed carry is allowed on the grounds but not in the
buildings of public colleges; and Kansas, where unlicensed concealed carry is allowed at all public colleges. The analysis
found that enrollment declined in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Kansas and fluctuated in Mississippi.

For years, opponents of campus carry have argued that such laws scare away students. On the rare occasions when
these claims have been supported by data, that data has been cherry picked so as to skew the results. A 2015 “study” by
The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus stated, “The student population of Utah campuses has fluctuated over a ten-
year span (2004-2013) with the last two years (2012-2013) consisting of a 1.7% and 2.3% drop in enrollment.” In a 2016
press release, Students for Concealed Carry (SCC) explained why TCKGOC’s analysis is misleading:

After a 2006 court ruling legalized the licensed concealed carry of handguns at all public colleges and universities
in Utah, Utah's public colleges and universities saw record enrollment in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. After slight
declines in 2012 and 2013, Utah again saw increased enrollment in both 2014 and 2015. There is no reason to
assume causation—legalizing campus carry didn't cause enrollment to go up—however, there is clearly no
negative correlation between student enrollment and the legalization of licensed concealed carry on campus.

PolitiFact’s findings contribute to the growing mountain evidence that campus carry, once enacted, is largely a non-issue
at American universities and colleges.

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ABOUT STUDENTS FOR CONCEALED CARRY — Students for Concealed Carry (SCC) is a national, non-partisan, grassroots
organization comprising college students, faculty, staff, and concerned citizens who believe that holders of state-issued
concealed handgun licenses should be allowed the same measure of personal protection on college campuses that
current laws afford them virtually everywhere else. SCC is not affiliated with the NRA or any other organization. For
more information on SCC, visit ConcealedCampus.org or Facebook.com/ConcealedCampus.

RELATED:

"UT-Austin’s anti-campus-carry groups seem to have gotten over it":

https://www.scribd.com/document/405697892/UT-Austin-s-anti-campus-carry-groups-seem-to-have-gotten-over-it

"Texas Students for Concealed Carry Opposes HB 1236 and HB 2280":

https://www.scribd.com/document/404367486/Texas-Students-for-Concealed-Carry-Opposes-HB-1236-and-HB-2280

"TXSCC’s Notes on 'The Growing Crisis of Guns on Campus'": https://www.scribd.com/document/403649667/TXSCC-s-

Notes-on-The-Growing-Crisis-of-Guns-on-Campus
"Texas Students for Concealed Carry Endorses Texas HB 316/SB 1573":
https://www.scribd.com/document/403650052/Texas-Students-for-Concealed-Carry-Endorses-Texas-HB-316-SB-1573

"Federal appeals court upholds Texas campus carry law": https://www.texastribune.org/2018/08/16/appeals-court-

rejects-texas-campus-carry-lawsuit/

"Student Activists Must Learn to Be Students of the Issues They Address":

http://concealedcampus.org/2018/08/student-activists-must-learn-to-be-students-of-the-issues-they-address/

"Texas’ Campus Carry Law Turns Two": http://concealedcampus.org/2018/07/texas-campus-carry-law-turns-two/

"Texas Legislative Candidate/Former Professor Omits Important Facts": https://www.ammoland.com/2018/07/texas-

legislative-candidate-former-professor-omits-important-facts/#axzz5M150Mn96

"Everytown for Gun Safety Continues to Ignore the Facts": http://concealedcampus.org/2018/05/everytown-for-gun-

safety-continues-to-ignore-the-facts/

"Students For Concealed Carry Lash Out At Repeated Claims Of Astroturf": https://bearingarms.com/tom-
k/2018/04/18/students-concealed-carry-lash-repeated-claims-astroturf/

SCC's Amicus Brief in Glass v. Paxton (U.S. Fifth Circuit): https://www.ammoland.com/2018/02/scc-sccf-file-amicus-

brief-u-texas-professors-campus-carry-suit/#axzz5CzmeJ49g

"What ‘Rolling Stone’ Got Wrong About the 'Fight Over Guns on Campus'": http://concealedcampus.org/2017/03/what-
rolling-stone-got-wrong-about-the-fight-over-guns-on-campus/

"Johns Hopkins Report on Campus Carry Is Seriously Flawed": http://concealedcampus.org/2016/11/johns-hopkins-

report-on-campus-carry-is-seriously-flawed/

"A Refresher on the Case for Campus Carry in Texas": http://concealedcampus.org/2016/05/a-refresher-on-the-case-

for-campus-carry-in-texas/

SCC’s Oct. 2, 2015 – Aug. 1, 2017, Texas press releases and op-eds:
https://www.scribd.com/document/319141232/Texas-Students-for-Concealed-Carry-Campus-Carry-Press-Releases-Op-
Eds-Oct-2-2015-Aug-1-2017

SCC's 2015 Texas legislative handout (includes Dec. 9 - May 22, 2015, press releases and op-eds):
https://www.scribd.com/document/255815743/SCC-s-2015-Texas-Legislative-Handout