WSUV increasingly relies on tuition as campus bleeds transfer student retention

Tuition revenue now accounts for the majority of the budget funds at WSU Vancouver following budget cuts, as the campus loses graduate students and transfer student retention declines.

In a town hall presentation, Interim Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations Damien Sinnott showed the funding allocations for the fiscal year 2026 budget. Notably, of the $4,302,100 in budget cuts, $3,725,390 was from the loss of money from state appropriations, administration fees, and general interest.

The loss in state appropriations means that for the 2026 fiscal year, WSU Vancouver now receives 52.6% of its budget from net tuition revenue, which has decreased by $375,915.

Sinnott said, “If you look between state appropriation and net tuition revenue in fiscal year 2025 and fiscal year 2026, you can tell that as an institution, we have become much more dependent on our tuition revenue for our everyday operating expenses.”

Sinnott said of the declining enrollment in the context of the Vancouver budget, “If you go back to 2020 … You will see we are down about just over 23% cumulatively, that is a little over 4 million dollars, which is about the same amount of money we just took in the budget reduction.”

According to WSU’s Data and Information site, in the Fall of 2020 total enrollment at WSU Vancouver was at 3,504 students, while in this semester there are 2,694 students at Vancouver, showing a net loss of 810 students over the last five years.

Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education Christine Portfors presented enrollment statistics for the 2026 fiscal year. Total enrollment at Vancouver has dropped by 0.2% despite a 5.6% increase in first-year students and a 3.3% increase in transfer students. This disparity is due to a substantial 8.4% loss in graduate students and a 13.5% loss in Doctor of Nursing Practice students, as well as a loss of retention of transfer students by 3.8%.

According to WSU’s Data and Information site, the Fall 2024 semester had a total of 2,700 students at Vancouver while this semester has 2,694 students, showing a net loss of 6 students from last year. In Fall of 2024, there were 202 graduate students, while this semester there are 185, showing a net loss of 17 graduate students from last year. Doctor of Nursing Practice students went from 104 in the Fall of 2024 to 90 this semester, showing a net loss of 14 students.

On the subject of the loss in graduate students, “This was planned, we knew this was going to happen, because of the UAW contract with the graduate students, the amount they are paid as teaching students and research students went up substantially.”

While explaining the 3.8% loss in retention of transfer students, Portfors said, “I’m not sure we know all the reasons for that yet. I think there are many reasons. It’s something we are going to be exploring.” She further explained, “It’s something we need to be aware of and thoughtful of when we are in our classes, and really paying attention to the needs of the student.”