North Idaho College sees 15% enrollment rebound but faces EWA cut; asks for capacity, nursing and cybersecurity support

North Idaho College reported a marked enrollment turnaround — roughly 15% growth in both fall and spring terms — but told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee the State Board’s Enrollment Workload Adjustment (EWA) formula produced a budgetary reduction that will bite into capacity-building needs.

Kevin Campbell, the Legislative Services Office analyst, introduced NIC’s budget overview and cited the college’s FY 2026 materials, saying the EWA results in “an ongoing reduction of $446,800.” Dr. Nick Swayne, president of North Idaho College, told JFAC the college was up about 15% in the fall and another ~15% in the spring and added roughly 571 new students on campus this spring alone.

Why it matters: NIC said the trailing-average EWA penalizes institutions during rapid rebounds because the three-year formula lags current…