Lincoln University, the historically Black educational institution in Jefferson City, Missouri, is warning of steep enrollment declines this fall in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the upcoming fall semester, 510 students have enrolled so far — down 25 percent from last year’s 676 at this time.
Enrollments for this summer’s sessions have seen even a sharper decline. Summer enrollment is down 42 percent from a year ago. There are 192 students enrolled for summer classes, compared to 333 in 2019.
The university aimed to have 550 incoming freshmen this fall, but so far only 300 had indicated that they would enroll. More than 2,800 students had been accepted into the first-year class.
Enrollment declines and the possible loss of state funding due to the financial crisis brought about by the pandemic may produce severe financial strains on the university’s budget.
