The University of Wisconsin System experienced a minor decrease in enrollment for the fall 2012 semester, the Board of Regents learned Friday.
In total, the UW System experienced a net loss of 22 students out of 156,580 students overall, which is only a 0.6 percent decrease, according to a UW System statement.
Meanwhile, graduate student enrollment decreased by 4 percent in the system, the statement said.
“The number that really matters is the graduation rate, which has increased,” UW System President Kevin Reilly said in the board meeting. “More students are graduating in the UW system, and much more quickly. If we are graduating them faster, enrollment could go down by virtue of that.”
Mark Nook, senior vice president of the Board of Regents, stressed these numbers are preliminary.
Nook said it is hard to make a comparison between enrollment last year and enrollment now because the numbers this year are based on only the first ten days of the semester. According to him, the board will be able to make a better comparison as soon as more exact data is collected.
Nook also said there are a lot of changes in the economy and in financial aid that may have contributed to this decline.
According to Nook, it is more important to focus on the fact more degrees have been awarded in recent years.
“In the last 10 years the number of degrees conferred had gone up considerably,” Nook said. “This is what will help our economy, not necessarily our enrollment.”
Regent Chuck Pruitt suggested there might be a correlation between the reduction of financial aid for students and the decreased enrollment.
“We have been through the legislative cycles where there has been less financial aid, and where the board made the necessary decision to increase tuition as a result,” Pruitt said. “Could these trends be related? Are the enrollment declines linked to the financial pressures students are facing”?
Nook said there is not enough data available to determine whether there is a link but it is unlikely due to the fact there is not a one-to-one correlation between the two variables.
The board was also updated on some potential federal cuts to education-related programs starting in January 2013.
Reilly updated the Board of Regents about the issue of federal sequestration, which is Congress’ last resort plan to reduce $1.2 trillion of national debt.
Reilly explained sequestration would consist of annual cuts divided equally among defense and non-defense programs.
These cuts are supposed to be a back-up, Reilly said, adding the cuts were not intended to take effect because Congress was supposed to reach an agreement on another plan. However, it has yet to do so, Reilly said.
“If these cuts go into effect, they will have a profound effect on our education system,” Reilly said. “They would be a very, very bad blow to American education at a time when we are struggling to help the country put the remainder of the effects of the recession behind us.”
Reilly said although Pell Grants are protected, many other financial aid programs and programs such as the National Science Foundation will be cut by about 8 percent overall.
According to Reilly, Congress is going to address the issue after the November elections.
