Student Drought Bits Smaller Universities

As Loyola University New Orleans is getting ready for fall classes next month, the 101-year-old university faces a crisis: 【小题1】 ‘It was a pretty big hit,’ said Mare K. Manganaro, vice president for academic affairs.

Now, along with preparing for fall courses, Loyola officials are worried about how to plug a S9.5 million shortfall in the school’s S163 million annual budget, the result of 221 fewer freshmen than expected.

Since last May, the 5,000-student private college has imposed a hiring freeze, reduced faculty hours, hired outside firms to revamp its marketing and financial aid，and is setting up early-retirement packages for some faculty. If that isn’t sufficient to fill the gap, the school may tap its S275 million endowment. 【小题2】.

Many in higher education believe this might be a trend for smaller colleges. After decades of growth, college enrollment nationally dropped 2.3% this spring, compared with spring 2012 according to a report released by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. 【小题3】 The number of U.S. high-school graduates peaked at 3.4 million in 2010-2011 and is projected to fall to 3.2 million by 2013-14, according to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

Loyola has set up numerous committees to figure out what went wrong and make sure it doesn't happen again. School officials were shocked this year by the low fall turnout. The vice president for enrollment management resigned abruptly in June. Loyola officials believe a reason for the decline was a reduction in financial aid it offered to the incoming class off its $35,504 tuition, from an average discount of 58% last year to about 55% this fall.

“【小题4】. I think the market answered back on that” said Mr. Manganaro.