East Central College officials said early projections show a 12 percent decrease in enrollment for the next term.
Currently, 1,351 people are enrolled for the spring semester, ECCâs interim vice president of student development Paul Lampe said. In December 2019, that figure was 1,534.
Enrollment affects state funding, so a decrease in students changes the money allocated to local colleges. To cover costs, ECC officials increased tuition 3 percent in the fall, after a 20 percent increase in June 2019, according to previous Missourian reporting.
Lampe said he is optimistic there will be a less dramatic change in spring enrollment than the numbers show now, predicting just a 5 percent reduction in students.