With officials reluctant to release any projected enrollment figures, the University of Montana has finally given the public some insight.  According to an operating budget summary from the Montana Board of Regents, UM has budgeted for a 6.6 percent drop in enrollment for this school year.  That translates into around 700 fewer students or about 10,400 students enrolled.
This is just a projection and is subject to change after the 15th day of classes, when all schools in the Montana University System will take the census.  University President Royce Engstrom says these numbers are in line with the budget following last years cuts.  Enrollment at UM has been declining since 2011, which led to several budget cuts in a variety of programs this past year.  In the State of the University address last month, Engstrom said he’s confident that no further cuts will be needed in the near future.

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