Colleges Expect to Reduce Student Support Budgets

Thirty percent of institutions expect student support budgets to decrease by more than 2 percent over the next three academic years, while fewer than 25 percent expect increases. Financial pressures result in part from declining enrollments and federal changes that reduce access to aid. Eighty percent anticipate reductions in enrollment and admissions support budgets, and 50 percent expect cuts to student support services. Other areas facing declines include academic program delivery and innovation (33 percent), career readiness (29 percent), and research development and funding (20 percent). Nearly half of four-year institutions depend on international enrollment to sustain support budgets. Affinity-group programming has declined, and many students do not use campus resources due to perceived irrelevancy, doubts about usefulness, lack of need, or preference for self-reliance.

College and university staff often bemoan that they're being asked to do more with less, and a recent survey underscores that sentiment. Thirty percent of institutions surveyed by Tyton Partners expect decreases of greater than 2 percent to their student support budgets over the next three academic years, while fewer than 25 percent expect an increase in budgets. Financial pressures are tied in part to declining enrollments, as well as to changes in federal structures that reduce access to aid, according to the report.

Eighty percent of institutions expect budgets for support services in enrollment and admissions to shrink, and 50 percent anticipate cuts to student support services. Other student-facing offices expecting declines are academic program delivery and innovation (33 percent), career readiness (29 percent), and research development and funding (20 percent). Threats to international student enrollment and visa complications could also significantly harm institutional resources and student success efforts; nearly 50 percent of four-year institutions cited international enrollment as critical to sustaining support budgets.

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