ENMU looking to reduce out-of-state tuition

PORTALES — Eastern New Mexico University is looking beyond the Land of Enchantment in an attempt to boost enrollment.

The ENMU Board of Regents last week approved a proposal from University President J.S. Elwell that will reduce out-of-state tuition for all students — from 203 percent to 150 percent of in-state tuition — starting in the fall of 2018.

The change is partly in response to a potential decrease of in-state students over the next 10 years.

Elwell said that due to lower birth rates, the number of students graduating from New Mexico high schools is expected to decline until 2028, leaving less potential college students.

As a result, ENMU hopes to boost enrollment from students outside of New Mexico in order for the university to maintain its trend of growing enrollment each year.

“If we were able to grow by even 50 out-of-state students, I would consider that successful and it would result in increased revenue for the university to operate,” Elwell said.

With a freshman class of 650 to begin this year, an increase of 50 out-of-state students would allow ENMU to reach Elwell’s goal of a 700 person freshman class.

ENMU’s 2017 fall enrollment was 6,027 students, up slightly from 6,014 in 2016.

“We’re the only university in New Mexico that’s growing but it was relatively moderate growth,” Elwell said.

Elwell said as a long-term goal he hopes to increase enrollment to as much as 7,000.

Previously due to ENMU’s participation in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education’s Western Undergraduate Exchange program, students from western states paid 150 percent of in-state tuition and all other out-of-state students paid 203 percent.

The new change will make it so students from the eastern and central parts of the United States, as well as international students, will now pay the same 150 percent rate.

ENMU’s 2016-17 tuition and fees averaged $5,994 in-state and $15,500 out-of-state.

Reduced tuition is just one of many steps ENMU is taking to boost out-of-state enrollment.

“We’re reviewing our recruiting process to make sure we’re doing the best we can and getting students interested,” Board of Regents President Dan Patterson said. “I told the president ‘ENMU is the best kept secret in the state.’ We have a lot to offer students and we try to make it as attractive as possible.”

The multi-pronged approach to boosting out-of-state enrollment includes increased advertising and “boots on the ground” recruiting trips to go along with the tuition reduction, Elwell said.

“We need to be more proactive in expanding our brand and growing,” Elwell said.

ENMU has put up three billboards on Interstate-40, a billboard on I-70, and will be advertising heavily in major New Mexico cities in an attempt to create more of a presence, Elwell said.

The university has also planned trips to southern Colorado and southern Arizona as it tries to recruit more out-of-state students, Elwell said.