Regents examine dip in enrollment
University system officials and regents will be looking into why the system saw enrollment fall at a majority of the state's colleges.
University system Executive Vice Chancellor Jane Nichols said the system is looking to hire a consultant to examine why fewer students are going to college in Nevada.
During a Board of Regents committee meeting Thursday, regents said they would like to talk to students about why they're not going to college and not using the Millennium Scholarship.
"We're not reaching the students as much as we would like to, and we're not seeing the great growth rates ... we've seen," Nichols said.
"Something is going on so that not as many students would be, could be, should be going to college."
Only Nevada State College, the College of Southern Nevada and Truckee Meadows Community College saw growth in enrollment in the fall, according to preliminary data presented to regents.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas saw a drop in enrollment of 0.7 percent, or 198 students.
The university system overall only grew by 1.2 percent, or about 1,200 students.
University of Nevada, Reno President Milton Glick said his campus saw increases in students from Clark and Washoe counties but a sharp drop in students from rural Nevada.
He said he attributed the drop in students from rural Nevada to recruitment by colleges in Idaho and Southern Utah University.
"Idaho's universities are doing a full-court press on those schools," Glick said.
Nichols said the Millennium Scholarship, because it is more exclusive, more difficult to maintain and doesn't pay for as much as it used to, has been less effective at drawing students.
Regent Steve Sisolak suggested sending university students into local high schools to persuade students to go to college in-state.
But UNLV Student Body President Adriel Espinoza said UNLV still has a reputation as the "university of never leaving Vegas."
By going to UNLV, Espinoza said, some students have the perception that they will not achieve their full potential.
