University of Northern Iowa | Wikimedia Commons/Madmaxmarchhare
University of Northern Iowa | Wikimedia Commons/Madmaxmarchhare
Iowa legislators are being warned by colleges and universities in the state of a decrease in student enrollment.
In 2024, there is expected be a 7% decrease in student enrollment. This decrease is partially from Iowa's fertility rate. It is also due to an increasing amount of students in K through 12 being minorities, Iowa College Aid Commission Executive Director Mark Wiederspan said. Of black and Latino students, only 55% enroll in college.
“Take what we are providing you as the best-case scenario,” Wiederspan said, according to Radio Iowa. “It is likely that the decline could be greater than what we are projecting right now.”
Currently there are 15,000 available jobs in Iowa, Mark Nook, University of Northern Iowa president, said. Many of these jobs need technical skills or a college degree to work.
“If we’re going to see a decline in our college enrollments and our economy is going to continue to accelerate towards more and more technology, this is the biggest issue for our workforce and our economy than it is for our higher education institutions,” Nook said. “Our higher education institutions are going to be part of the solution because we’re going to work very hard to get more and more of those students into higher ed and ready for those jobs.”
Almost all of the U.S. states are also expecting a decrease in college enrollment. Central College is trying to build relationships with students in public schools, Mark Putnam, president of Central College, said. These relationships will help students see college as a normal next step after they graduate high school.
“If we’re not in there, a bigger barrier can grow because people see us as being separate from them,” Putnam said.
Liang Chee Wee, president of Northeast Iowa Community College, said more online classes could increase the number of students enrolling in college classes, but not all states can offer this.
“Now, when you’re in the school setting, everything is okay, but some of our students when you go home, the spinning cycle will be there," Wee said.
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