North Idaho College reports 15% enrollment gains but faces $446,800 EWA cut, seeks faculty for nursing, welding and cybersecurity

North Idaho College President Dr. Nick Swayne told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that the college posted double-digit enrollment gains — roughly 15% in fall and again in spring — and added hundreds of new students this academic year even as the EWA formula produced an ongoing FY2026 reduction of $446,800.

Swayne said NIC’s fall enrollment increased about 15.5% and the college recorded roughly 571 new students this spring; the college asked the committee for funding to add faculty in nursing, welding and other high-demand areas and for support on cybersecurity costs.

Why it matters: NIC leaders said the EWA’s trailing-average methodology penalizes institutions when enrollments rebound quickly. At the same time, the college faces program-specific capacity constraints — nursing clinical ratios, welding program second-year retention, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities — that require both recurring personnel funding and ongoing operational support.

Key details and context

- EWA and enrollment: Kevin Campbell, the Legislative Services Office analyst, noted the EWA (enrollment workload adjustment) produced an ongoing FY2026 reduction for NIC of $446,800. Swayne explained the formula is trailing and can cut funding in a growth year because it averages prior lower enrollments.

- Enrollment trends and scale: Swayne said NIC was down for several years after 2009 but has turned enrollment around; the college reported roughly a 15% rise in both fall and spring semesters and 571 new students in the spring term.

- Nursing and clinical capacity: NIC asked for five nursing faculty positions to increase first-semester nursing cohorts from 40 to 60 students per semester (a 50% increase). Swayne said external accreditation and clinical-supervision requirements typically require about a 10-to-1 student-to-instructor ratio for clinical experience.

- Welding and other CTE needs: NIC described welding demand that frequently pulls students into the workforce after year one; the college said adding a welding instructor would allow expansion of first-year capacity so more students can continue to a second year.

- Cybersecurity and data protection costs: Swayne said NIC’s cybersecurity expenditures rose from roughly $250,000 annually to more than $500,000 as the college strengthened defenses following cyber incidents in the region; he described ongoing costs to protect student and employee data.

- Accreditation status: Swayne told the committee NIC had been under show cause (February 2023) and as of the meeting was no longer under show cause but remained on probationary status with the accrediting body.

- District authority and outreach: Swayne said NIC has taxing authority in Kootenai County and noted outreach centers and services in Sandpoint (an outreach center providing many main-campus services), Rathdrum and Post Falls. He said NIC also supports Head Start programs and the Area Agency on Aging across North Idaho.

What the committee heard and next steps

Committee members questioned why NIC faced an EWA reduction despite enrollment growth and pressed Swayne for details on which student categories (dual credit, traditional, adult learners) were driving growth; Swayne said growth was “across the board” with strong gains in dual credit and CTE and modest gains in traditional transfer pathways.

Swayne asked JFAC to consider holding NIC harmless on EWA this cycle or supporting targeted enhancements to fund clinical faculty, welding instructors and cybersecurity operations. The presentation was informational; no formal committee vote was taken at the hearing.