Ohio State faces losses of $1 million to $2 million this year because more students are graduating in four years,
“It translates to a loss of tuition and state support for between 300 and 400 students compared to earlier projections,” said Bill Shkurti, vice president of business and finance.
About 19 percent of students who enrolled in 1994 graduated in four years. About 39 percent of student who enrolled in 2000 graduated in four years, said Julie Carpenter-Hubin, director of institutional research and planning.
“This is a direct result of increased tuition dollars toward additional sections of core classes,” said Elizabeth Conlisk, OSU spokewoman. “We’ve added sections of the most critical classes that are central to graduating on time.”
More tuition dollars have gone toward adding advisers so students can have more individual attention, Conslik said.
Although the university will lose some money, tuition will not be raised more than the 6 percent that has already been announced, Shkurti said.
Some minor adjustments will be necessary to compensate for the deficit, but no classes or programs are in danger, he said.
However, in a $950 million instructional budget, a $1 million to $2 million loss is not a large cause for concern, Shkurti said.
“It needs to be addressed but is not a crisis,” Shkurti said.
Another factor is that more freshmen and sophomores are returning to finish their undergraduate experience. In 1994, 77.7 percent of freshmen returned for a second year. By 2003, 88 percent of first-year students returned, Carpenter-Hubin said.
Shkurti said first-year retention rates have gone up signficantly because students are better prepared when they enroll at OSU.
“This is good news,” Shkurti said. “We want our students to be successful. Even though it will cost us a little bit of money in the short run, we consider it to be additional evidence that Ohio State continues to improve.”
