Budget not to affect 2010-11 admissions
Kari Williams
Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: News
Universities across the country, including the Universities of Georgia and California, are decreasing enrollment. SIUE's budget issues will not affect fall enrollment, according to Scott Belobrajdic, assistant vice chancellor of Enrollment Management.
Belobrajdic said tuition increases occur every year to account for the university's expenses, but the rate students receive as freshmen is locked in for their four years as an undergraduate. According to Belobrajdic, the yearly increase only affects the incoming class.
"Our tuition rate is very modest right now, so an increase wouldn't amount to a large dollar amount, so it wouldn't impact the numbers as a whole," Belobrajdic said.
The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees and the Chancellor's Council determine the amount that tuition will increase, according to Belobrajdic.
"Our board of trustees is very in tuned to keeping the tuition increase as small as possible. It's not a set rate every year," Belobrajdic said. "They go into [that] process looking at a big array of different variables."
An increase has been seen for incoming freshman classes, according to Belobrajdic.
"Since we are up about 8 percent in applications for the fall, we are targeting around 2,000 freshmen and 1,950 was our official count last fall, so we had an increase of about 50 [students]," Belobrajdic said.
Burrell said in the last 10 years, freshman enrollment has risen by almost 500 students.
Phil Brown, director of Institutional Research and Studies, said the enrollment rate has increased approximately 2 percent each year it rose for first-time, full-time freshmen. According to Brown, SIUE is trying to keep the numbers around where they are now in order to grow programs in targeted areas.
"[SIUE] can't continuously grow without reaching a point where programs suffer," Brown said.
According to Belobrajdic, the university is planning for growth, looking at a 1 or 2 percent increase.
Belobrajdic said tuition increases occur every year to account for the university's expenses, but the rate students receive as freshmen is locked in for their four years as an undergraduate. According to Belobrajdic, the yearly increase only affects the incoming class.
"Our tuition rate is very modest right now, so an increase wouldn't amount to a large dollar amount, so it wouldn't impact the numbers as a whole," Belobrajdic said.
The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees and the Chancellor's Council determine the amount that tuition will increase, according to Belobrajdic.
"Our board of trustees is very in tuned to keeping the tuition increase as small as possible. It's not a set rate every year," Belobrajdic said. "They go into [that] process looking at a big array of different variables."
An increase has been seen for incoming freshman classes, according to Belobrajdic.
"Since we are up about 8 percent in applications for the fall, we are targeting around 2,000 freshmen and 1,950 was our official count last fall, so we had an increase of about 50 [students]," Belobrajdic said.
Burrell said in the last 10 years, freshman enrollment has risen by almost 500 students.
Phil Brown, director of Institutional Research and Studies, said the enrollment rate has increased approximately 2 percent each year it rose for first-time, full-time freshmen. According to Brown, SIUE is trying to keep the numbers around where they are now in order to grow programs in targeted areas.
"[SIUE] can't continuously grow without reaching a point where programs suffer," Brown said.
According to Belobrajdic, the university is planning for growth, looking at a 1 or 2 percent increase.
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