(WTIU/WFIU News)
Noon Edition airs on Fridays at noon on WFIU.
According to the Indiana Commission for High Education, college enrollment drops were observed nationwide with undergraduate enrollment falling by 3.1 percent.
Enrollment in Indiana is down by 2.6 percent.
At the address on the 2022 State of Higher Education Address, Indiana's commissioner attributed the declines to affordability and to how relevant Hoosiers see higher education to their future getting a job.
Commissioner Teresa Lubbers said the drops have occurred at highest rates among diverse Hoosiers and men, and that institutions' adaptations should not be incremental.
But rates had been dropping for some time. The pandemic, like with many other things, sped up a trend that was already taking place.
We'll talk with higher education experts and data trackers today about why we are seeing declines, and how institutions could respond.
You can follow us on Twitter @NoonEdition or send us questions for the show at news@indianapublicmedia.org.
Note: This week, our guests and hosts will participate remotely to avoid risk of spreading COVID-19.
Guests
Trudy Weddle, Vice Chair for Enrollment Services and Student Success, Ivy Tech Bloomington
Audrey Williams June, News Data Manager, The Chronicle for Higher Education
David Johnson, IU Bloomington Vice Provost for Enrollment Management