Tuition
continued from page 1
there were 13,243 undergraduate stu
dents, a number that rose gradually
to 16,047 undergraduate students in
Fall 2002, a 21 percent increase. The
data show a drop in enrolled stu
dents from fall to spring term each
year, however, with the average differ
ence between the terms fairly con
stant at about 8 percent.
The difference in enrollment
from the beginning to the end of
the year may be due to several fac
tors, Director of Admissions Martha
Pitts said.
“There are a number of reasons
why students stop out in a year, and
some are financial reasons," Pitts
said. She added some students
also graduate in fall and winter or
may not be academically eligible
to continue.
Students may also withdraw from
classes because of illness, conflicts
with work, family obligations, a
transfer to another college or other
personal reasons, Director of Acade
mic Advising Hilary Gerdes said.
"One of the most common rea
sons is that the student just needs a
break — needs some time away,"
she said.
The Office of Academic Advising
works only with students who wish to
completely withdraw from the Univer
sity after enrolling for classes. Gerdes
said academic advising does not keep
track of students who choose not to re
turn after the end of a tenn or school
year. In fall 2002, the department han
dled 725 withdrawals.
"In fall term, there were approxi
mately 16 percent of the students
(who withdrew) who cited financial
reasons," Gerdes said. During the en
tire year, about 13.4 percent of
all withdrawn students said they were
PERCENTAGE DECREASE IN UNDERGRADUATE
ENROLLMENT FROM FALL TO SPRING
96-97 97-98 98-99 99-00 00-01 01-02
02-03
Academic year
SOURCE. University Registrar
Addle Lennox Emerald
leaving for financial reasons. That
number was 13.3 percent in 2001
and 13 percent in 2000, Gerdes said.
Despite the data on withdrawals, it
is difficult to determine whether or not
tuition increases reduce enrollment.
"The impart of a tuition increase is
hard to gauge in isolation," Pitts said,
adding it has to be analyzed in differ
ent contexts. She said the argument
that some students may not be able
to afford education is a valid assump
tion, but the administration has not
been able to quantify how many stu
dents have been forced to leave.
"It's quite a complicated econo
metric analysis that has to done,"
she said.
Despite the rising costs over the
years, applications to the University
have risen. Last year, the University
received more than 9,900 applica
tions and admitted about 3,250 stu
dents. This year, Pitts said the Office
of Admissions received more than
10.000 applications, but fewer than
3.000 students were admitted.
"We are purposefully decreasing
the freshman class (sizes)," Pitts
said, adding that if the student body
continued to grow without control,
it would put the University beyond
its capacity to cater effectively to all
its students.
"We want to make sure we provide
a quality education," she said.
However, ASUO President Maddy
Melton said the debate on tuition is
not based only on numbers, but
also on access to education. She
said increases in tuition rates may
affect the composition of students
in relation to their income levels
and economic class.
"Rise in tuition does not necessari
ly correlate to a decrease in enroll
ment when you're looking at num
bers," Melton said. "But when you're
looking at who is enrolling, there is a
demographic change if need-based fi
nancial aid does not compensate for
those increases."
Contact the reporter
at ayishayahya@dailyemerald.com
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