NORTHRIDGE : CSUN Enrollment Falls 4.4% From ’91

There are 1,301 fewer students enrolled in the fall semester at Cal State Northridge than last year, a drop of about 4.4%, campus officials said Tuesday.

The decline comes amid well-publicized state budget troubles that have prompted campuses in the Cal State University system to lay off instructors and reduce the number of classes. A 40% fee increase for students is also planned.

“There must have a been a certain amount of student concern about the budget, the availability of classes and higher fees,” said Donald Bianchi, CSUN’s vice president for academic affairs.

Bianchi said the decline, although significant, is still within the school’s target enrollment. CSU campuses are funded by the state based primarily on the number of students enrolled.

Last fall, 29,320 students were enrolled in CSUN’s first week of classes, said CSUN Registrar Eric Forbes. This year, 28,019 are enrolled. That number is expected to change slightly when a final count is made in 30 days, he said.

Although demand remains high for entry into CSUN--based on the number of applications received--the number of students registering for fall has declined two years in a row, campus records show.

For the fall 1991 semester, enrollment in the first week was down about 2% from the same time in 1990.

In comparison, fall enrollment at San Diego State University--which faces more severe cuts than CSUN--dropped about 8% this year, to 29,747 students, campus officials said.