According to numbers released by Central Michigan University, on-campus undergraduate enrollment is projected to drop 5 to 7 percent this year to between 17,300 and 17,800, even though 22,023 applications for on-campus fall enrollment have been submitted to the university as of Aug. 15.

According to top university officials, that puts applications at an all-time high, despite the drop in enrollment.

Senior Associate Director of Admissions Kevin Williams said it’s not a case of the university turning more students away, but rather more students are applying to CMU and then selecting another university.

“Along with our many competing public colleges, there are private colleges and community colleges; there are several options to choose from,” Williams said. “We need to get in front of these students, because it is truly a buyer’s market out there.”

Now more than ever, Williams said, CMU needs to become increasingly competitive.

“Students can shop around for the best option, the best scholarship market,” Williams said. “You have to be proactive; our financial aid packages need to be top-notch, the scholarships we offer have to be top-notch.”

Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services Steven Johnson said another reason for declining enrollment is because, with a fully-online application process, more students are beginning the application process and not choosing to finish.

“The goal is always to get students to finish that process, yet you will always get students who, once they make the determination to apply, they might not choose to continue that,” Johnson said. “I can tell you a large number (of students) start the financial aid process and don’t complete it.”

Johnson said the university did not deny more students admission this year than in years past.

“We did not raise university standards,” Johnson said. “But, we definitely did not lower the university standards.”

Williams said he is confident that the university will be able to raise its enrollment to a desirable amount, though that number has not been determined as of yet.

“CMU will be fine, they are going to aggressively recruit,” Williams said. “CMU looks the best when we successfully show what we have to offer.”

University finances, enrollment go hand-in-hand

Stabilizing enrollment figures is key for CMU if it hopes to become financially stable.

The Board of Trustees approved a $440-million 2013-14 budget in July that is about $1 million smaller than the previous academic year. Because of a $12 million general fund deficit and a $6 million auxiliary fund deficit, largely caused by the enrollment drop, the university had to dig deep into its reserve funds to balance its budget.

Most colleges and departments (with the notable exception of athletics) saw their budgets essentially stagnate or cut, and University President George Ross warned the board more cuts are on their way, especially if CMU can't stabilize enrollment.

“Unfortunately, fewer students means colleges will need fewer part-time and fixed-term faculty,” Ross told the Board of Trustees during its July meeting. “Additionally, some vacant staff and faculty positions will not be filled.”

The Board of Trustees revealed six strategies in July to attract more students to enroll at CMU.

With plans to launch an Office of Student Success this fall, the university will work directly with academic colleges, find problem areas in the student body, and implement strategies to address those areas. The office will create three new positions and cost roughly half a million a year to operate according to Johnson.

The university will also re-engineer CMU’s financial aid packages to award more and larger merit-based scholarships. Johnson said specific changes to CMU’s financial aid packages are still being determined.

“We’re looking at the numbers and if we want to create any new scholarship programs,” Johnson said. “We have not finalized the types of changes we want to make; that is under review."

The number of academic advisors on campus will increase from 16 to 21 during the fall semester.

CMU will also be making several changes in order to recruit students more aggressively.

Included in these changes is a new customer relationship management system, a computer operated system that will determine a communication plan for prospective students and text, email and mail them on a set schedule.

The university will also be making greater efforts to increase recruitment of students in 9th and 10th grade, as well as students who are out-of-state.

CMU will also attempt to increase its international student base. Among those proactive approaches, CMU has increased its advertising expenditures by 358 percent. According to University Communications, it brings this years marketing expenses to $923,108.70.

“We’re just expanding our reach,” Johnson said. “…we are communicating with prospective high schoolers earlier than we have before.”