State report says 7 Virginia universities should be monitored as enrollment cliff approaches

[Anonymous]

It’s the costs too. Kids are pulled out of state if they don’t get into the big schools rather than go to those schools. Why are VA universities so expensive? Are they not funded as much as other states fund theirs? I’ve seen wondered this for a while. Or is it that they just could price them so high because northern Virginian salaries could pay?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The General Assembly has been quite vocal that they think that the big schools have “ganged up” on the smaller state schools. It’s going to be even harder for the big schools to get funding. Which creates a spiral effect.

Doesn't help the smaller schools are pushing that narrative too - I remember the Longwood president was calling for UVA and W&M to take less in-state students so students might going to Longwood again.

Kids who were competitive for UVA and W&M aren't going to go to Longwood.

Agreed but the Longwood president seems to think otherwise

When I was watching the floor debate where these grievances were being aired, the accusation was UVA pulls more from CWM which pulls from Tech which pulls from JMU which pulls from UMW and CNU which pulls from Longwood and Radford.

UVA and W&M have grown 15% and 13% respectively over the past 10 years. VT, GMU, and JMU have grown 22%, 21%, and 20% respectively and they are larger or much larger than even UVA in terms of undergraduate enrollment (and much, much larger than W&M). The issue for schools like Radford, Longwood, MW, and CNU is being caused by growth at those 3 schools. I wouldn't be surprised if their growth over the past 10 years exceeds the total enrollment at Radford, Longwood, CNU, and MW.

If kids prefer GMU and JMU, maybe the answer is to grow the better schools and close the failing schools

Mergers are the more likely scenario. Longwood is actually a very charming campus and their enrollment would almost certainly increase if branded UVa’s Longwood campus.

Or more likely the small schools all rebrand like Cal State and the Penn State Satellites. Make VSU the flagship and pub money into that than then you have VSU-Radford; VSU FarmVille; VSU Fredericksburg; VSU Newport News etc.

I rather like that idea and it reminds me that North Carolina did that back in the early 70s and UNC (technically) became UNC-CH. But I thought the state legislators would come to blows over the proposal that NC State become UNC-R. Ah....no. But it swallowed up colleges in Charlotte, Greensboro, and Wilmington that probably would've otherwise gone under and all of them (including the likes of App St, ECU, NCSU and quite a few HBCUs) all operate under the one System Board of Governors.

I doubt UVA would consider such a dilution of their brand but I've love to see the upgrade for VSU or ODU as another flagship to highlight either the RVA or Hampton Roads area.

Side Note to the OP: Glad to see someone else reads the Cardinal News. It's definitely a different and refreshing perspective on Virginia politics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The General Assembly has been quite vocal that they think that the big schools have “ganged up” on the smaller state schools. It’s going to be even harder for the big schools to get funding. Which creates a spiral effect.

Doesn't help the smaller schools are pushing that narrative too - I remember the Longwood president was calling for UVA and W&M to take less in-state students so students might going to Longwood again.

Kids who were competitive for UVA and W&M aren't going to go to Longwood.

Agreed but the Longwood president seems to think otherwise

When I was watching the floor debate where these grievances were being aired, the accusation was UVA pulls more from CWM which pulls from Tech which pulls from JMU which pulls from UMW and CNU which pulls from Longwood and Radford.

UVA and W&M have grown 15% and 13% respectively over the past 10 years. VT, GMU, and JMU have grown 22%, 21%, and 20% respectively and they are larger or much larger than even UVA in terms of undergraduate enrollment (and much, much larger than W&M). The issue for schools like Radford, Longwood, MW, and CNU is being caused by growth at those 3 schools. I wouldn't be surprised if their growth over the past 10 years exceeds the total enrollment at Radford, Longwood, CNU, and MW.

If kids prefer GMU and JMU, maybe the answer is to grow the better schools and close the failing schools

Mergers are the more likely scenario. Longwood is actually a very charming campus and their enrollment would almost certainly increase if branded UVa’s Longwood campus.

That's not going to happen - W&M is actively looking to split from Richard Bland, who knows how much longer UVA will keep Wise. The big colleges don't want to be tied to these others.

Richard Bland wanted to have its own independent board of visitors rather than the W&M board of visitors. It failed in the General Assembly. UVA Wise is going to remain part of UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The General Assembly has been quite vocal that they think that the big schools have “ganged up” on the smaller state schools. It’s going to be even harder for the big schools to get funding. Which creates a spiral effect.

Doesn't help the smaller schools are pushing that narrative too - I remember the Longwood president was calling for UVA and W&M to take less in-state students so students might going to Longwood again.

Kids who were competitive for UVA and W&M aren't going to go to Longwood.

I asked my kid about Longwood, he said, "I already have one of those" and pointed to the front of his pants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting article and I was surprised to see Mary Washington having more problems than Radford or Longwood. Also surprised to see Christopher Newport in the list. Not surprised to see VA state or Norfolk. They should probably combine to be one strong school and maybe they could attract some students who were heading to Howard.

The report doesn’t mean any state level actions will take place but I think it is interesting and there likely does need to be action.


https://cardinalnews.org/2024/10/09/state-report-says-seven-small-universities-should-be-monitored-as-enrollment-cliff-approaches/

It’s interesting that you propose that VA State and Norfolk combine but not, say, Longwood and CNU.

The first two are HBCUs, why not combine to create a larger HBCU?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also from the same report....

https://wtop.com/education/2024/10/3-virginia-universities-with-some-viability-risks-study-finds/
"On Monday, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, questioned if the risks against Virginia State have any connection to the institution not being funded to the same levels as Virginia Tech after the federal government estimated a year ago that VSU is owed over $277 million in state funding from 1987 to 2020.

Like Virginia Tech, the historically Black college in Petersburg is a land grant institution.

“It’s an HBCU and this state is known for not having funded HBCUs to the levels that they should be funded,” Locke said."


Virginia continues to underfund public schools.

Virginia State gets $18,991 per in-state FTE student in general fund appropriations (state revenues appropriated for the institution). Virginia Tech gets $9,480 per in-state FTE.

https://research.schev.edu/info/Reports.Guide-to-the-Finance-Policy-Reports

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whats the wnrollment cliff

The upcoming "enrollment cliff" refers to a projected significant decline in the number of college-age US students, beginning around 2025 and continuing into the 2030s. This drop is largely attributed to the falling birth rates that occurred during the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath, leading to fewer high school graduates.

This is awesome news for my kids born in fall 2008 and 2011.

Don't get too excited. The non-stop increasing numbers of international applicants will dwarf any so-called enrollment cliff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also from the same report....

https://wtop.com/education/2024/10/3-virginia-universities-with-some-viability-risks-study-finds/
"On Monday, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, questioned if the risks against Virginia State have any connection to the institution not being funded to the same levels as Virginia Tech after the federal government estimated a year ago that VSU is owed over $277 million in state funding from 1987 to 2020.

Like Virginia Tech, the historically Black college in Petersburg is a land grant institution.

“It’s an HBCU and this state is known for not having funded HBCUs to the levels that they should be funded,” Locke said."


Virginia continues to underfund public schools.

Historically, Virginia isn’t known for its concern for education of Black students.

[Anonymous]

CNU is building a new building now that might help them expand their engineering and tech. Hopefully that helps them increase enrollment. The dorms and facilities are pretty nice. It used to be part of W&M.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting article and I was surprised to see Mary Washington having more problems than Radford or Longwood. Also surprised to see Christopher Newport in the list. Not surprised to see VA state or Norfolk. They should probably combine to be one strong school and maybe they could attract some students who were heading to Howard.

The report doesn’t mean any state level actions will take place but I think it is interesting and there likely does need to be action.


https://cardinalnews.org/2024/10/09/state-report-says-seven-small-universities-should-be-monitored-as-enrollment-cliff-approaches/

It’s interesting that you propose that VA State and Norfolk combine but not, say, Longwood and CNU.

Why? They are both HBCUs and combined they have more potential.


CNU , Radford and MW could combine in some way.

Longwood is historically a teachers college and still have a significant number of students planning to go into teaching. They should lean into that again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s the costs too. Kids are pulled out of state if they don’t get into the big schools rather than go to those schools. Why are VA universities so expensive? Are they not funded as much as other states fund theirs? I’ve seen wondered this for a while. Or is it that they just could price them so high because northern Virginian salaries could pay?

Yes.

https://cardinalnews.org/2022/11/02/nationally-state-spend-more-on-community-college-students-than-four-year-students-virginia-does-not-why/
“Virginia funds higher education at a lower level than all but 12 other states. In terms of general fund appropriations per full-time equivalent student, the national average is $9,327 per student per year. The Virginia figure is $7,215. The only states lower, ranked in descending order: Delaware, Nevada, Indiana, West Virginia, Louisiana, Arizona, Rhode Island, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Colorado and, in last place, New Hampshire at $4,370. The highest state is Wyoming, at $29,680, although that figure might be distorted by the state’s small population; the next highest state is Illinois at $18,752.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also from the same report....

https://wtop.com/education/2024/10/3-virginia-universities-with-some-viability-risks-study-finds/
"On Monday, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, questioned if the risks against Virginia State have any connection to the institution not being funded to the same levels as Virginia Tech after the federal government estimated a year ago that VSU is owed over $277 million in state funding from 1987 to 2020.

Like Virginia Tech, the historically Black college in Petersburg is a land grant institution.

“It’s an HBCU and this state is known for not having funded HBCUs to the levels that they should be funded,” Locke said."


Virginia continues to underfund public schools.

Virginia State gets $18,991 per in-state FTE student in general fund appropriations (state revenues appropriated for the institution). Virginia Tech gets $9,480 per in-state FTE.

https://research.schev.edu/info/Reports.Guide-to-the-Finance-Policy-Reports

Shhhh. Facts are not germane here. It gets in the way of the emotional binky that VA is still a bastion of racism despite years of Democrat dominance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also from the same report....

https://wtop.com/education/2024/10/3-virginia-universities-with-some-viability-risks-study-finds/
"On Monday, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, questioned if the risks against Virginia State have any connection to the institution not being funded to the same levels as Virginia Tech after the federal government estimated a year ago that VSU is owed over $277 million in state funding from 1987 to 2020.

Like Virginia Tech, the historically Black college in Petersburg is a land grant institution.

“It’s an HBCU and this state is known for not having funded HBCUs to the levels that they should be funded,” Locke said."


Virginia continues to underfund public schools.

Virginia State gets $18,991 per in-state FTE student in general fund appropriations (state revenues appropriated for the institution). Virginia Tech gets $9,480 per in-state FTE.

https://research.schev.edu/info/Reports.Guide-to-the-Finance-Policy-Reports

A few years of increased pupil funding doesn’t reflect the many decades of underfunding - by millions & millions of dollars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also from the same report....

https://wtop.com/education/2024/10/3-virginia-universities-with-some-viability-risks-study-finds/
"On Monday, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, questioned if the risks against Virginia State have any connection to the institution not being funded to the same levels as Virginia Tech after the federal government estimated a year ago that VSU is owed over $277 million in state funding from 1987 to 2020.

Like Virginia Tech, the historically Black college in Petersburg is a land grant institution.

“It’s an HBCU and this state is known for not having funded HBCUs to the levels that they should be funded,” Locke said."


Virginia continues to underfund public schools.

Virginia State gets $18,991 per in-state FTE student in general fund appropriations (state revenues appropriated for the institution). Virginia Tech gets $9,480 per in-state FTE.

https://research.schev.edu/info/Reports.Guide-to-the-Finance-Policy-Reports

Shhhh. Facts are not germane here. It gets in the way of the emotional binky that VA is still a bastion of racism despite years of Democrat dominance.

the federal government estimated a year ago that VSU is owed over $277 million in state funding from 1987 to 2020.

Does this match your narrative

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also from the same report....

https://wtop.com/education/2024/10/3-virginia-universities-with-some-viability-risks-study-finds/
"On Monday, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, questioned if the risks against Virginia State have any connection to the institution not being funded to the same levels as Virginia Tech after the federal government estimated a year ago that VSU is owed over $277 million in state funding from 1987 to 2020.

Like Virginia Tech, the historically Black college in Petersburg is a land grant institution.

“It’s an HBCU and this state is known for not having funded HBCUs to the levels that they should be funded,” Locke said."


Virginia continues to underfund public schools.

Virginia State gets $18,991 per in-state FTE student in general fund appropriations (state revenues appropriated for the institution). Virginia Tech gets $9,480 per in-state FTE.

https://research.schev.edu/info/Reports.Guide-to-the-Finance-Policy-Reports

Shhhh. Facts are not germane here. It gets in the way of the emotional binky that VA is still a bastion of racism despite years of Democrat dominance.

The fact is that VA did not fund HBCUs to the same level as white public universities for decades.