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Emporia State reports stabilization in enrollment, uses reserves and cuts to balance budget
Summary
Emporia State told the Board of Regents’ Fiscal Affairs Committee it achieved slight enrollment stabilization, improved retention and on-time graduation rates, cut about $3 million and used budgeted reserves to balance a deficit budget for the year.
Angela Wilgram presented Emporia State University's midyear financial report to the Kansas Board of Regents Fiscal Affairs and Standing Committee on March 12, saying enrollment declines eased and the university has taken steps to balance a deficit budget.
Wilgram said fall headcount showed smaller-than-expected declines — "our enrollment would be down around 5%... it really came in around 2 or 3% down" — and that the campus now has roughly a 50/50 split between on-campus and online students. She noted improvements in retention: first-to-second-term retention rose from 89% to 93%, and first-to-third-term retention grew from 68% to 74%. On-time graduation was at 67%, the second-highest among the Regents system.
On budgeting, Wilgram said Emporia State had budgeted to use $2.7 million in cash reserves and implemented about 3% cost reductions — roughly $3 million — to close a deficit. She detailed the cuts: "Vacant positions... projects put on pause or reduced... travel was reduced along with some training." The university also reduced its operating budget by 3% and plans to spend donor-funded capital on finishing building projects, which will lower composite financial index (CFI) measures next year, she said.
Wilgram described the university's decision on a finalized debt payment related to the student union: rather than defease the bond issuance with escrowed cash (which would remove the liability at extra cost), Emporia State kept the funds centrally and will continue annual payments to save on interest and earn returns on cash balances.
Wilgram highlighted programmatic pivots and priorities: focus on nursing, health sciences, business technology and cybersecurity; use of EAB Navigate for early alerts and student success; and a recently completed HLC reaccreditation awarding a 10-year reaccreditation with Open Pathways.
Regents asked clarifying questions: Regent Rolfe confirmed the university cut about $3 million. Regent Winter asked whether the on-time graduation metric referred to four-year graduation, and Wilgram said it is the four-year metric but she would double-check. Emporia State said it is building plans to grow on-campus enrollment to about 5,200 and will continue monitoring spring revenues as a possible upside to the year’s tuition projections.
Wilgram concluded that the university has "really good enrollment signs" alongside substantial work ahead to reach sustainable enrollment and financial footing.
