USU Eastern shutters dorm as enrollment fears mount across state

When asked about the severity of a potential 2 percent dip in tuition revenue, Sterling said that an impact of any size would be felt, but officials will continue to be proactive in mitigating the effects of the change.

"This is new for all of us, and we're all dealing with it," he said. "We'll continue to evaluate this situation over time."

Utah State University, which includes USU Eastern, estimates that between the spring 2013 and fall 2014 semesters, the school will lose 1,900 new and current students for an aggregate tuition revenue loss of $9.5 million.

Between now and the spring 2015 semester, Weber State University expects to see an enrollment decline of 4,400 full-time equivalent students — a measurement used for funding calculations. That decline would mean a loss of more than $4 million in tuition and fees each semester, or $20 million overall, which is roughly 2.5 percent of the operating budget, said Norm Tarbox, vice president for administrative services.

Tarbox said WSU has not yet implemented a hiring or spending freeze, but how the current semester plays out will inform officials' decisions going into the future.

"This thing is going to play out over a long period of time," Tarbox said. "It's very possible we may have to go down that road."

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