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Full Results: NAICU Fall 2009 Economic Impact Survey

Contents
• Introduction
• General Survey Information
• Paid Deposits
• Enrollment
• Financial Aid
• Institutional Aid
• Balancing the Budget
• Comments

Click here to view the news release.
Click here to view the detailed summary.

Introduction

NAICU conducted a survey of private colleges on their expectations for fall 2009 enrollment, financial aid and budgeting in light of the current economic recession. The survey began collecting data on Monday, May 18, 2009, and closed on Friday, June 19, 2009.

I. General Survey Information
NAICU received 284 completed surveys, a 30% response rate. The following tables provide a general description of the institutions that responded to this survey.

Carnegie Classification	Number	Percent
Doctoral/Research	25	8.8
Masters	100	35.2
Baccalaureate	122	43.0
Associates	3	1.1
Special Focus	31	10.9
Unclassified	3	1.1
Total	284	100

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Institution Size	Number	Percent
Under 1,000	58	20.4
1,000-4,999	181	63.7
5,000-9,999	27	9.5
10,000-19,999	15	5.3
20,000 and above	3	1.1
Total	284	100.00

II. Paid Deposits

Question 6/7: Comparison of full-time undergraduate paid deposits received as of May 15, 2009 for fall 2009 versus full-time undergraduate paid deposits received as of May 15, 2008 for fall 2008.

Fall 2009 vs. Fall 2008 Paid Deposits	Number	Percent
Increased	142	55.0
No Change	3	1.2
Decreased	113	43.8
Total	258	100.00

Of the 142 instituitions (55%) reporting an increase in paid deposits for fall 2009 versus fall 2008:
o 10 institutions are reporting a less than 1% increase
o 46 institutions are reporting a 1%-4.9% increase
o 27 institutions are reporting a 5%-9.9% increase
o 14 institutions are reporting a 10%-14.9% increase
o 10 institutions are reporting a 15%-19.9% increase
o 35 institutions are reporting a increase of 20% or more


Of the 113 institutions (43.8%) reporting a decrease in paid deposits for fall 2009 versus fall 2008:
o 6 institutions are reporting a less than 1% decrease
o 34 institutions are reporting a 1%-4.9% decrease
o 24 institutions are reporting a 5%-9.9% decrease
o 15 institutions are reporting a 10%-14.9Þcrease
o 20 institutions are reporting a 15%-19.9% decrease
o 14 institutions are reporting a decrease of 20% or more

III. Enrollment

Question 8/9: Comparison of median projected institutional enrollment for fall 2009 versus actual institutional enrollment for fall 2008.

Institutional Enrollment	Projected Fall 2009	Fall 2008	Percent Change
Average Student Enrollment	2424	2418	0.2%

Comparison of average projected institutional enrollment (Undergraduate, Graduate/First Professional) for fall 2009 versus actual institutional enrollment (Undergraduate, Graduate/First Professional) for fall 2008.

Total Institutional Enrollment (all levels)	Projected Fall 2009	Fall 2008	Percent Change
Average Student Enrollment	3193	3189	0.1%

Question 10: How is the economic recession affecting your institution's fall 2009 undergraduate student enrollment as compared to your fall 2008 undergraduate student enrollment?

10a: Returning undergraduate student enrollment	Number	Percent
More than a 5% increase	18	6.9
1% - 5% increase	71	27.2
No change	105	40.2
1% - 5% decrease	62	23.8
More than a 5% decrease	5	1.9
Total	261	100.00

 

10b: New undergraduate student enrollment	Number	Percent
More than a 5% increase	45	17.0
1% - 5% increase	74	27.9
No change	61	23.0
1% - 5% decrease	49	18.5
More than a 5% decrease	36	13.6
Total	265	100.00

10c: Transfer undergraduate student enrollment	Number	Percent
More than a 5% increase	28	10.6
1% - 5% increase	59	22.3
No change	115	43.6
1% - 5% decrease	37	14.0
More than a 5% decrease	25	9.5
Total	264	100.00

 

Question 11: What steps has your institution taken to achieve its fall 2009 undergraduate enrollment goals in light of the economic recession? (check all that apply)

Steps taken to achieve fall enrollment goals	Number	Percent
Responded positively to student aid appeals	165	58.1
Increased the size of institutional aid awards	157	55.3
Accepted a higher number of regular applicants versus last year	148	52.1
Increased the number of students receiving instutitional aid	123	43.3
Accepted late applications/extended the recruiting cycle	92	32.4
Accepted more students on the waiting list versus last year	37	13.0
Created a longer waiting list versus last year	34	12.0
Accepted a higher number of early decision applicants versus last year	28	9.9

IV. Financial Aid

Question 12: Due to the economic recession, applications for student aid for fall 2009 versus fall 2008 have:

Fall 2009 student aid application versus fall 2008	Number	Percent
Substantially increased (more than 15% increase)	40	15.1
Moderately increased (6% -15% increase)	90	34.0
Slightly increased (1% - 5% increase)	89	33.6
No change	36	13.6
Slightly decreased (1% - 5% decrease)	7	2.6
Moderately decreased (6%- 15% decrease)	3	1.1
Substaintially decreased (more than 15%)	0	0.0
Total	265	100.00

Question 13: How did your student aid packages for fall 2009 change from fall 2008?

Aid Type	Increase		Decrease		No Change
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Insitutional aid awards	203	76.6	13	4.9	49	18.5
Federal grant aid	200	75.8	4	1.5	60	22.7
Federal work study	95	36.3	7	2.7	160	61.1
Federal loans	144	54.5	11	4.2	109	41.3
State aid	49	19.1	83	32.3	125	48.6
Private loans	78	31.5	46	18.5	124	50.0
Family contribution	50	19.2	121	46.5	89	34.2

 

Question 14: To what extent have the following federal programs been useful for fall 2009?

Program	Very Helpful		Helpful		No Difference
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
$500 increase in Pell Grant awards	154	57.9	93	35.0	19	7.1
$2,000 increase in Stafford loan limits	159	59.6	85	31.8	23	8.6
20% increase in federal work study	78	29.9	89	34.1	94	36.0

V. Institutional Aid

Question 17: If your institution provided additional institutional aid to students for fall 2009, where did the additional funding come from? (check all that apply)

Sources of fall 2009 additional institutional aid funding	Number	Percent
Increased tuition revenue	152	53.5
Made cuts in other institutional budget areas	140	49.3
Increased fund raising/gift revenue	39	13.7
Other	33	11.6
Drew down more funds from endowment	15	5.3

Comments on additional funding sources:

"Institutional waivers."

"Endowed scholarships and institutional grants."

"We discount tuition by 40% so the dollar amount of institutional aid reflects the increased size of the student body and a modest tuition increase (3%)."

"Increased discount rate."

"$100,000 Grant from CIC / Wal-Mart used partially for scholarships for first generation students interested in teaching - Teach First."

"No salary increases for faculty and staff. Increased employee contribution to health care coverage. Utility cost reductions by energy-saving and pre-buying fuel."

"Increased enrollment."

"Received one of the million dollar mystery donor gifts restricted to financial aid."

"Reduced operating surplus."

"Income from operations."

"Delayed salary increases until January."

"Our institutional aid offered will decrease for the 2009-2010 because we are in the second year of implementation of a restructured tuition and financial aid model. For fall of 2008 our tuition charged to traditional undergraduate students [was] reduced by 23% from the previous year. This reduction in tuition was offset by a reduction in the amount of institutional financial aid offered to students."

"Reallocating scholarship funds toward need-based awards. We cut some of the merit-based aid to families with means to pay. We redirected the funds toward students with fewer resources."

"Limited strategic growth in 2009."


Question 18: Due to the economic recession, have your currently enrolled undergraduates taken any of the following steps for the 2008-2009 academic year or for fall 2009 term? (check all that apply)

Steps currently enrolled undergraduates have taken for the 2008-2009 academic year for the fall 2009 term	Number	Percent
Work more hours	158	55.6
Participate in a tuition payment plan	148	52.1
Borrow more through private sources (credit cards, private loans, etc.)	146	51.4
Stop out of school	111	39.1
Switch to part-time status	74	26.1

 

VI. Balancing the Budget

Question 19: Due to the economic recession, which of the following cost-cutting measures has your institution taken? (check all that apply)

Cost-cutting measures taken	Number	Percent
Increased tuition at less than historical average	154	54.2
Froze salaries	152	53.5
Froze new hiring	133	46.8
Restricted travel	124	43.7
Slowed down current construction/renovation projects	107	37.7
Delayed maintenance	87	30.6
Gave small than usual salary increases	81	28.5
Increased tuition less than anticipated	78	27.5
Laid off staff (non-faculty)	54	19.0
Cut salaries/benefits	48	16.9
Canceled planned construction/renovation projects	44	15.5
Laid off faculty	20	7.0
Froze tuition levels	13	4.6
Cut student services	12	4.2
Cut academic programs	11	3.9

Comments on cost-cutting measures:

"We're in fine shape due to no reliance on state funding or endowment support."

"We froze salaries over $100,000. We have also focused on "green" actions that also save money, e.g., reduction of paper consumption."

"Made strategic cuts - no operating budget increases - most operating budgets reduced."

"Put off hiring of non-essential positions until next fiscal year."
"More closely managing the operating budget and trying harder to raise funds in a diminished environment."

"Cuts in visiting faculty; furlough eligible staff and faculty; some staff restructuring; some open positions will remain open (not all); substantial cuts in discretionary expenses (includes travel); cuts in depreciation / capital spending."

"Reduced discretionary spending, supply budgets, non-essential costs."

"The cost cutting measures at the University were primarily operational in nature. In January, the university implemented a pay decrease. Senior administrators contributed 10%, staff and administration contributed 6% and 83% of the faculty voluntarily contributed 6%. The effort and willingness was overwhelming."

"We froze salaries for the highest paid staff, reduced/delayed the salary increases for lower paid staff (< $50,000), and reduced benefits in the form of institutional contribution to retirement funds. However, we also increased our faculty salaries by an average of 12% to begin to remedy historic low pay for our faculty."

"Delayed salary increases. Salary increases historically occur on July 1, this year they will be delayed until October (after Fall enrollment and retention are finalized)."

"Summer spending moratorium. Only expenditures essential for summer activities are approved. All other expenditures must be pre-approved by the Business Office."

"Reduced personnel expenses by decreasing 12 month contracts to 10 and 11 months. Took no draw from endowment. Decreased specific operation budgets of now academic programs by 2 to 5 percent."


"Grant-funded positions not picked up. Until enrollment comes in, the annual increase in salaries was moved from 7/1 to 10/1. Lowered retirement match from 7% to 5%; changed dental benefit from 100% to 50% paid by employee. Major building project/capital campaign delayed."

"To offset the negative impact of these enrollment and financial aid developments, we intend to implement the following actions (which we would expect to be in place for FY2010 only): • There will be no salary increases for employees for FY2010 • Employees whose salaries are greater than $100,000 will be asked to accept reductions in pay of up to 5% • All employees will see a 1% reduction (to 9% of pay) in the College's contribution to the 401(k) retirement plan."

Question 20: Due to the economic recession, which of the following revenue-increasing steps has your institution taken or is planning to take? (check all that apply)

Revenue-increasing steps institutions have taken or are planning to take	Number	Percent
Increased/attempted to increase enrollment	186	65.5
Increased tuition	154	54.2
Increased room and board	122	43.0
Created new academic extension or continuing education programs	75	26.4
Borrowed funds	20	7.0
Sold assets	13	4.6

VII. Comments

Question 21: Please provide comments on the impact the economic recession is having on fall 2009 enrollment and financial aid at your institution.

Paid Deposits:

"Some students in our fall incoming class express anxiety about the economy and are hesitating in their deposit process."

"There were more double deposits this year than in previous years; and, therefore, an increase in our paid/cancels for first year new students. More students than usual were making decisions to attend/not attend based on financial aid being the number one factor in their decision."

"We are experiencing substantially lower than average deposit rates for new students including freshmen and transfers. We have increased the scholarship budget by 10%."

"Currently, we have not seen the financial impact that we were expecting. Our fee paid students are at a record level for our University and we've not seen any indication that there will be a large amount of attrition in the upper class. We are cautiously optimistic that, despite the economic climate, this will be a good year for us in terms of enrollment."

"No impact seen yet in applications and net deposits; however, we do not know yet if the yield will decrease."

"So far our enrollment looks to be right on target. To date we have had not decrease in the amount of students paying deposits or registering, and even are seeing an unprecedented decrease in our melt rate. That being said, we know a lot can still change."

"Fewer deposits."


Operational:

"We are working with students on a highly individual basis. This is helping recruitment and retention, but very labor intensive for Financial Aid and Admissions staffs."

"The economic recession has had a major impact on the endowment of [our institution]. This has caused us to rethink our business model. When many colleges were increasing financial aid, we have decreased our very generous aid fraction for the freshman class. We will be establishing an early retirement program and may need to make staff and faculty cuts in the coming years."

"It has not yet all shaken out for us. Continuing students do not yet have their aid awards, which are necessary to their decisions about re-enrolling. The biggest issue for us is the loss of endowment income. We have planned budget reductions accordingly, despite the fact that our new student enrollment appears to be very strong, and preliminary information on attrition is low impact."

"Collection of outstanding accounts receivable has slowed as well as an increase in payment plan defaults."

"So far the largest impact has been on staff reductions and salaries."

"Created much greater uncertainty, making budgeting and course section planning very difficult."

"In this economy families are challenged to afford the cost of a high quality education. We anticipate making net revenue targets, even with increases in the discount rate."


Financial Aid:

"We believe that we will successfully maintain our enrollments, but we see a dramatic increase in financial need. Prior to the recession, we had an aggressive plan to increase financial aid. As a result of the recession, we have gone beyond that original plan."

"Private loans may be less available or families may be less able to qualify due to downturn in their financial circumstances. Federal grants increased but offset by reduction in state grants."

"Economic recession has had a direct and significant impact on our enrollment. It has definitely increased the amount of financial aid being awarded. It has affected the financial aid office counselors' time with families. The staff has spent many more hours counseling, performing professional judgments, and reviewing appeals to assist students with more aid to keep them enrolled. More students have applied for aid in Fall 2009 than had ever applied before. The rate of deposited student applicants has been delayed more this year than in prior years. Families are having a "hold and wait" attitude due to the uncertainty of the economy."

"More students who have requested work-study aid are working their maximum number of hours."

"We are making the 2009-2010 year work, in spite of forgoing tuition increases and increasing institutional aid. But this approach will only work for one year. Subsequent years will require tuition increases and less increase in institutional aid."

"Return on our endowment is down so underwriting scholarship programs is limited. We have seen an increase in special circumstances requests from families. Cost seems to be more important than quality in more cases."

"Many more families have requested consideration for special circumstances due to changes in their finances. Admit to deposit yield has been negatively impacted by economic concerns. Student need levels have risen significantly, thus impacting our institutional aid budget."

"The average institutional need-based grant to new students has increased by over $4,000."

"Students and families have been more cost-conscious than ever, causing admission yields that had remained steady for years, to drop. Fortunately, after having been negatively impacted in 2008, our institution was able to plan to admit more students and fund them more generously, leading to a satisfactory enrollment number. We also found the availability of the 'year round' PELL Grant very useful for our students."

"It is driving up financial aid costs, and limiting efforts to improve the quality of academics."

"Even more requests than usual for reconsideration on financial aid packages."

"[We] moved to a "meet need" policy for fall 2009. In addition, there was an increase in applications for financial aid. This, combined with the economic downturn, increased the size and number of institutional aid awards."

"We are seeing more families asking for additional institutional support. More requests for professional judgment due to loss of jobs."

"Fall 2009 enrollment will be lower than usual due in part to economic issues. Significant increase in number of families filing "special circumstances" appeals - and appeals for re-consideration of merit awards as well. Expected increase in discount rate = 5 points."

"A significant part of our enrollment growth has been in our adult degree programs. The challenges of the economy have resulted in an increased number of adult learners seeking out our degree programs offered in formats conducive to meeting the needs of working adults."

"We are uncertain at this point. Families and students are delaying their decisions about enrolling or returning due to financial uncertainty and fear."

"The impact is fewer new full time undergraduates with increased financial need. This causes us to rethink our priorities as well as engage in creative budgeting."

"Definite increase in appeals and requests for professional judgments for financial aid."

"We have more federal professional judgment requests."

"We have less money from the endowment to cover institutional aid for fall 2009."

"The uncertainty of the economy in general is creating a pause in family planning for private education. In addition, there is a fear that federal or state funding levels will be cut after the student enrolls leaving an unpaid balance that neither the family nor institution will be able to cover. In addition, the availability of private loans and PLUS loans seems to be more strict. The College's Office of Freshman Services is spending more time per student re-recruiting returning students."

"We have seen a 97% increase in financial aid appeals (special circumstance appeals) for new students."

"Through a number of proactive interventions, the University has been able to decrease the magnitude of the impact on overall 2009 project enrollment. On balance, however, an increase in financial aid appeals and the number of students qualifying for need-based aid has increased aid expenditures over last year."

"We have seen a significant increase in financial aid appeals; when we increased the discount rate we did so with this possibility in mind."

"Budgeted increase financial aid. As a percent of gross tuition; the budgeted discount rate for fall 2008 was 36.2% for fall 2009 is 37.0% From preliminary indications; retention and enrollment is expected the same or higher than last year."

"Enrollment of full-time undergraduates seems particularly affected. Financial aid budget will be exceeded because of the number of students with legitimate financial extenuating circumstances, more aggressive awarding to freshmen, and increased family need."


No Negative Impact:

"Actually, [we have] not seen any negative impacts from the recession, perhaps because we have a very small endowment already and we serve low income students who are largely outside of the middle class economy that is most hard-hit. We have received a record number of applications (more than 1,000) for our full-time daytime women's college, and expect to enroll the largest class since the late 1960's. We also are seeing dramatically larger application pools for our adult graduate and professional programs. Fund raising has been slack, and campaign plans are on hold, but we're managing to keep an anticipated surplus for the year-end."

"Less than the media would have everyone believe. This recession has seemed to provoke more anxiety than actual loss among our population."

"So far, the economic recession has had little, if any, economic impact on our enrollment or financial aid."


State Issues:

"Family ability to pay for college is significantly less than a year ago and the State of Illinois cut off access to the state's grant program (MAP) on May 15 because program funding had run out. We anticipate these factors will drive up our discount rate and we will see a modest decline in enrollment."

"The lack of a timely decision by the Indiana state legislature on a budget is creating significant disruption. Families do not know what the state aid levels will be. The public universities will not announce tuition until mid-summer when the appropriations are confirmed. All this is causing students to delay their decisions about enrollments and making it difficult for them and for the institutions they will attend."

"[Our institution ] is a Michigan institution and we attract a high percentage of students from the Detroit area. That area has been hit hard with cuts to the automotive industry and this has affected many of our students/families who may have otherwise considered Albion. The perception is that many of these students have shifted their interest to less expensive 4-year public universities and community colleges."

"The biggest impact for us is the high unemployment rate in our region and state budget cuts. Our deposits are down from our immediate area (and up from other parts of the state, though not enough to offset the decrease in the immediate area) and the state is planning to cut need-based aid to in-state students attending private colleges by 40% for 2009-10."

"1) We anticipate a smaller first-year class, but expect to be close to target projections (+ or - 2%) established prior to economic crisis. 2) The most problematic financial situation is a reduction in state-funded financial aid (Ohio) that could be anywhere from 30-60%."

"Our main competition is regional, public institutions and community colleges; it is making it extremely difficult to compete on costs. Our new student enrollment for fall will experience approximately a 15% decrease in size. For an institution that is 85% reliant on tuition revenue for the operating budget, this makes it very difficult to make progress. On top of this, the state grant did not increase and funding for dual enrollment programs have been cut."


Enrollment:

"We have experienced a decline in applications and an apparent deferral of decisions on confirmations. We have allocated more institutional resources to scholarships in an effort to avoid a decline in enrollment. Our college is located in an impoverished part of the south. Ninety-six percent of our students receive financial assistance; 40% receive Pell Grants."
"As many will also predict, 2009 enrollment will not be firm till the fall 2009 when students actually enroll on campus."

"We won't know until September. The impact will be felt in the "summer melt" of entering graduate students who decide to defer entry for a year or to not come at all."

"We expect traditional new student enrollment to be down this year with fewer coming from out-of-state and an increase in need-based financial aid."
"Seeing more part-time students (undergraduate and graduate) enrolling in fewer classes per term or year."
"Despite increased student applications, Fall 2009 enrollment is highly dependent on financial aid packaging."

"We have felt a very small impact thus far. We have very few students who have stopped out or transferred due to the recession. At this point our retention looks to be better than last year. As you look at our fall enrollment numbers you will see a decline but it was intentional. We had enrolled two classes that were much larger than we could handle with our current resources so we reduced our goal significantly."

"It has shifted our enrolled student profile (higher academic profile) and this has had a direct impact on increasing the discount rate. Our highly qualified admits receive more institutional scholarship and accepted the awards at a higher rate by enrolling with us. Increased federal government financial aid has allowed students to continue to access a high quality private education. This has also allowed us to geographically diversify our incoming class and positively affect our state and region."

"Parents and students are doing more shopping (looking for better financial packages vs. a good fit). Parents and students have more questions about financial aid and are more aggressive in expectations of institutional aid. Students and parents are more diligent about deadlines and paperwork. Many students are putting off the final decision later than usual. For our graduate education students, the cessation of federal loan forgiveness programs for teachers has impacted the number of teachers pursuing additional education beyond the master's degree. The current uncertainty of the job market for established and new teachers, given the continuing announcements of layoffs and budget cuts, has also significantly impacted enrollment in graduate education programs."
"We expect our new freshman class will be 5% to 10% smaller in Fall 2009 than in Fall 2008. There is still uncertainty about the recession's impact on continuing students. Financial aid is stressed as need increases and as the resources are increasingly constrained."
"Fall enrollments, while slow in coming, will put the College at full enrollment for this fall. The tuition discount for incoming students is higher than it has been in the past."

"For undergraduate enrollment behavior we feel families initiated the college search before the economy, personal and national, worsened significantly and were psychologically less willing to adjust their pursuit of an elite, private university. More families will be stretching themselves to keep the dream alive. We expect the high school class of 2010 to be more reluctant to consider high cost schools or, at least, to apply to fewer of them."

"We did not want to increase the class. We have had more applications, more admits, and our class is coming in faster than last year, but we are not able to grow due to capacity."

"We believe the recession is having a negative impact on the enrollment of new students as we have a a very, very price-sensitive prospective student population. We had the first-year applicants we needed, but their enrollment has trailed the most recent year. Transfer enrollment represents about half of our new student enrollment and continues through the summer, but is also currently running behind."

"Under our rolling enrollment program new students can enroll and returning students register up to the first day of classes. As a result, we do not have a totally accurate assessment of fall enrollment at this time. I presently am optimistic about our new and returning student enrollment, but I realize that could change over the next few months if family providers lose their jobs or the economy continues to deteriorate. Students are billed June 15 with balances due July 15. I anticipate more students will delay paying tuition and fees than last year, however, this could be an indication that the student is not returning. We have experienced more students attempting to negotiate financial award packages than ever before, but this has been an increasing trend over the past few years."

"Enrollments will be down, somewhat offset by higher retention, and the financial aid budget will be increased."

"We'll have a smaller enrollment for fall 2009 due to the economic recession. Families are concerned about the availability of summer credits."

"Currently our deposits/enrollments are ahead of last year at this time but the college is offering more institutional aid which seems to be playing a part in these deposits. In other words, it's costing us much more to bring in this class. We are cautiously optimistic, knowing that historical "melt" patterns might not hold this year as families re-assess their employment/financial options this summer."

"The economic recession has had an impact on our returning students for Fall 09. Outside financial resources have diminished at a time when state and federal aid are also on a downward trend. Cost cutting measures have allowed the university to fund recruiting new students. All indicators are projecting enrollment to meet budgeted targets."

"Our prospective students are waiting longer than usually to make their decisions. It is making our budget planning very difficult."

"A significant part of our enrollment growth has been in our adult degree programs. The challenges of the economy have resulted in an increased number of adult learners seeking out our degree programs offered in formats conducive to meeting the needs of working adults."

"As of May 22, 2009, our Fall 2009 FTF deposits are 7% under the same period last year. Our external transfers for Fall 2009 are 11% under the same time period last year. If this trend continues we will be under in full-time enrollment by approximately. $1.0 million dollars. Our part-time enrollment is expected to be flat and fall by about 10% in the undergraduate and graduate areas. More state and federal grant aid would help in the efforts to bridge the gap between EFC and the reality to pay for our students' education. These constraints will have another negative impact on our projected FY 2010 Operating Budget. Many of our students' families have been negatively impacted by the current economic recession. It is difficult for all of us all the way around."

"We are seeing a higher than normal number of parents who have experienced job loss or anticipate being laid off in the near future. They are concerned about paying college tuition for their children. We may not know until July or early August exactly how many current students will be able to return to school this fall.

Fall enrollments remain strong."

"We are expecting a small decrease in enrollments. We are providing more financial aid to returning students helping them pay their bills."

"We are uncertain at this point. Families and students are delaying their decisions about enrolling or returning due to financial uncertainty and fear."

"While our enrollment numbers remain strong, the economic recession has caused us to look very closely at all of our current processes. We have set up contingency plans and have embarked on what we call "accordion planning" i.e. planning that can change given a changed set of circumstances. We don't take anything for granted."

"Our undergraduate enrollment has not been impacted at this point. We were more aggressive with our acceptances. Our overall financial aid expenditures were increased for 2009/2010. We slightly increased marketing and recruitment expenses."

"No measurable impact to date."

"We have increased the financial aid we're offering to students to the average for women's colleges (42%) although we have very few prospective students turning [our institution] down because of cost. Enrollment has actually increased as of January 2009. Summer 2009 enrollments are significantly higher than in the past. Deposits for fall are also significantly ahead. Perhaps the economy works in favor of colleges like ours who have been "Best Buys" for many years - high in quality/affordable in price/cost."

"The impact is fewer new full time undergraduates with increased financial need. This causes us to rethink our priorities as well as engage in creative budgeting."

"At this point we are experiencing a slight increase in expected enrollment for the Fall 2009 semester. However, we are all holding our breath to see how many will show up in August when fees have to be paid."

"The recession diminished interest in higher education. Potential students are delaying decisions to attend college. They are waiting to see if the economy improves."

"In some respects the recession seems to have had a positive effect on the students inquiring and planning to attend [our institution]. We are having to work harder to get these students (increased communication and attention to financial aid issues), but we anticipate a record enrollment in the fall."

"At this point, fall enrollment pressure is on continuing students -- we have a projected increase in new students. Overall, enrollment should decrease about 2%."

"While we project our total enrollment to increase from 1350 t0 1400, we did plan last fall (because of the economic downturn) for a decrease in new student enrollment from 645 in 2008 to 610 in 2009 (and it looks like the fall student number will be down from last year but could be a little above the budget projection of 610 but returning student enrollment could end up being higher than projected). Also, we expect financial aid costs to increase from last year but we built that into our planning model in the fall because of the economic situation and, right now, our financial aid expenditures are staying within the projected budget."

"Fall 2009 enrollment is expected to be 1905 students, fewer students than the planning levels we had assumed earlier in the year and fewer than in recent years. We attribute this decline to the economic downturn. Many (if not most) institutions sought to achieve their Fall enrollment goals by offering attractive financial aid awards, and [we were] no exception. Families carefully evaluated the awards, and we responded as generously, but prudently, as we could to any appeals. Not surprisingly in this economy, the total financial aid awards accepted by enrolling students are somewhat higher than in recent years. To offset the negative impact of these enrollment and financial aid developments, we intend to implement the following actions (which we would expect to be in place for FY2010 only): • There will be no salary increases for employees for FY2010 • Employees whose salaries are greater than $100,000 will be asked to accept reductions in pay of up to 5% • All employees will see a 1% reduction (to 9% of pay) in the College's contribution to the 401(k) retirement plan."

"We have seen a pretty dramatic fall off in yield (the percent admitted who plan to enroll) but have been able to withstand this because of an extraordinarily good year in applications and admissions. We anticipate hitting our new student goal. Returning students on track for usual return rate."

"So far, enrollment is stable/level with previous years. Our discount rate is actually down slightly."


Other:

"Major impact for us has been in fundraising. We are at approximately 50% of contributions from 2007-08 primarily due to the recession."

"Our fear is that our students/families are buying into the fear that the media is strongly portraying about the economy and such (thankfully this is starting to ease and hopefully gas prices don't jump back up to $4/gallon with the media going back to 24-hour the economy is collapsing reporting). We are trying hard to combat this fear, but we won't know if we're successful until September, which makes it very hard on budgeting and other elements of planning."