Student numbers at the University of Otago continue to be down on last year.
A financial report tabled at yesterday's council meeting showed that at the end of June, there were 17,894 equivalent full-time students (EFTS) enrolled, a drop of 435 (2.4%) on the corresponding time last year.
The fall in enrolments is part of a continuing trend, with numbers falling each year since they peaked at 19,918 EFTS in 2010.
For the university to meet its forecast of 18,577 EFTS for the full year, an extra 683 EFTS would need to enrol by the end of the year. During the same period last year, 622 enrolled.
The continued drop is hitting the university's bottom line: the $107.177 million in government funding for student places at the end of June was down $366,000 on the corresponding time last year.
Based on meeting the forecast of 18,577 EFTS for the full year - which is a 1.97% drop on last year - the decline in student numbers was expected to cause a drop in income of $5.39 million from what was budgeted at the start of the year, with income from tuition fees expected to be down by $3.545 million and government funding expected to be down by $1.845 million.
