Admission cuts will cost RPS millions

Last April the Board of Trustees raised tuition rates by four percent to increase revenue. Four months later that decision may be the reason Residential Programs and Services finds itself $2.5 million short of its proposed revenue.\nThe exact admission numbers for the 2004 fall semester won't be finalized until Monday, but RPS is currently anticipating a drop of 450-500 students, RPS Executive Director Pat Connor said.\n"Basically, we have to look at having less revenue than we anticipated and look to make an adjustment," Connor said.\nDespite all signs pointing towards the freshman class size decreasing, it is starting to look as if the number of transfers will be larger than years past, IU Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services Don Hossler said.\nOnce the final numbers are in, RPS and other departments will take steps to find out why admission is down and what can be done to alleviate the financial repercussions.\n"We first need to know things like: Are we down among in-state or out-of-state students?" Hossler said. "Are we down among women or men? Are we down among students of color or international students? Are there some majors where we saw greater declines?"\nHossler expects that sort of information to come roughly seven to 10 days after the final numbers come in.\nRPS received their "targets" from the Office of Admissions last January which predicted the number of new students entering the RPS system. By February the RPS budget was put together, meaning the unexpected drop will leave RPS without revenue they expected to get.\nRPS already shut down two floors in Collins-Brown, alleviating nearly 100 dorm spaces. Once all numbers are finalized, they will work to consolidate dorms and free up strategic places with lower numbers.\nOther actions that RPS may take to cut the estimated 2.5 million dollars from the budget include holding off on repairs and filling vacancies. They will also take a closer look at their supplies and how to stretch certain supplies, Conner said.\nMany freshmen were turned away by the seemingly ever-climbing tuition rates, especially those from out-of-state.\n"I know my parents and I really had to take our time with deciding which school I would go to," freshman Matt Gilberts, an out-of-state student from Mundelein, Ill. said. "We looked at a lot more in-state options and made sure I was absolutely positive about going to IU. I know some other kids in my grade ended up going to (University of Illinois) instead of here because of cost."\n-- Contact staff writer Brian Janosch at bjanosch@indiana.edu.