(03-27-2020 04:53 PM)Erictelevision Wrote: My D-III alma mater was completely a commuter school until recently. I assume not having dorms saves $$$
Dorms are a profit center. Colleges offer discounted tuition but make a killing on the dorms.
The enrollment impacts I predict:
1. International students. How long will it be before international travel returns? International students won't return at a lot of places.
2. College towns. Just the thought of being stuck in the middle of nowhere on top of thousands of students will make many cringe.
3. Universities without Health Sciences. There is going to be a shortage in medical professionals and those with health science/medical schools can weather the storm.
There is going to be states where you might see a flip in enrollment demand from college towns to urban campuses where staying in the dorms isn't required.
Some of the G5's may weather this better than P5's who have propped their admissions up with international and out-of-state students.
Illinois is an example to consider. We know its a high population state that has been exporting HS students across the Midwest. Less international students means more spots available at U of I. That means less Chicago kids going to places like Indiana and Ohio State. Those schools will do what Big Ten schools have always done in times of crisis; lower standards.
For the MAC schools I bet the response will be to go smaller and keep the 3.5 class averages most of them now have intact. It will mean layoffs but I don't see away around it with so many factors against enrollments returning.
Miami University is going to get hard hit as its appeal is driven around the college town experience (out), international demand (out), out of state demand (out), business college (out). Go smaller or lower your standards. I would think they would prefer to go smaller, maybe reduce by 5,000 or more.