University of Iowa President Sally Mason told a faculty and staff forum today that the university’s budget is in good shape despite the anticipation of a modest increase in money from the state. Mason says a couple of things have helped bolster the budget outlook.
Mason says they had a large freshman class, and a very good retention number. She says retaining students translates to more tuition dollars, which she says helps them get through a “very,very difficult budget time. Mason says an increase in tuition approved for the fall has not impacted enrollment expectations.
She says tuition is running about 2% above where they expected to see it this year. “And that’s a great thing, because that translates into about seven million dollars,” Mason says.
Mason says next fall’s freshman class is expected to be at least as large as this year’s record.