YSU enrollment rise to bring $2.5 million

Increased enrollment also brings increased expenses, one official said.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — If the numbers hold, the increase in fall student enrollment at Youngstown State University could provide about $2.5 million in additional revenue for the university this year.

The final enrollment figures for this semester won’t be compiled until next week, but Dr. Thomas Maraffa, special assistant to the president, told the YSU Board of Trustees on Thursday that the head count is expected to settle at about 13,400 full- and part-time students.

That’s about 200 higher than the university had projected.

The more important number, for financial purposes, is the full-time equivalent enrollment.

Full-time is a minimum of 15 credit hours per semester.

YSU’s 2007-08 general fund budget of $158 million is predicated largely on an FTE of 10,461.

However, Maraffa said the FTE for this fall, based on the full- and part-time head count, should actually be about 10,800, a difference of 339 FTEs.

A single FTE generates approximately $7,500 a year in revenue, and an additional 339 FTEs would mean a $2.5 million boost for the general fund — money that hasn’t been allocated to any specific purpose at this point.

Eugene Grilli, vice president of finance and administration, was reluctant to call the anticipated additional money a windfall.

Other factors

The budget will have to be modified in December and the university will have to look at all the “mandatories” it has to meet, such as utility costs, before it can determine if there is extra money beyond expenses, he said.

Neal McNally, director of budget planning and resource analysis, said the higher FTEs will definitely generate revenue exceeding what was budgeted in June.

But with higher enrollment comes additional costs in the form of more instructional and student services, he said.

Academic affairs could eat up a big chunk of any additional revenue as a result, he said.

The 1,200 student employees got a pay increase Jan. 1 because the state raised the minimum wage. However, the university was unable to increase funding in that line item in the new budget that took effect in July, McNally said, suggesting that might be another place where additional funds will be needed.

There’s also a mandated cost-of-living adjustment for those minimum-wage employees coming in January, which will have to be addressed, he said.

gwin@vindy.com