Administrators at Southern Illinois University Carbondale say a number of factors caused enrollment to slide this fall.
Official ten-day enrollment numbers were released yesterday, and show an overall drop of 970 students on the SIU System’s flagship campus.
Leaders say smaller Junior and Senior classes combined with changes in financial aid and a smaller pool of potential students to create the decline. There are 18,847 students enrolled this fall, compared with 19,817 at this time last year.
Despite the lower overall numbers, Chancellor Rita Cheng says there are bright spots, including an increase in international first-time students and a hike in all-over first-time students on the campus.
Cheng says while the numbers are still down, the dips are less dramatic than a few years ago. She says that indicates the downward trend may be turning around.
