Fee money gathered from an increased number of Ohio University undergraduate applications could provide a cushion for the university’s General Fund — even if it doesn’t mean higher enrollment numbers next year.
More applications flooding into OU this year — about 17,200 at deadline, up from about 13,000 last year — will result in higher revenue from the fees that applicants pay to submit their application, said Craig Cornell, vice provost for enrollment management.
Application numbers were slowly declining before last year. In 2011, there were about 13,300 applications, down from about 14,200 in 2009.
Likewise, revenue from application fees declined from 2009 to 2011. OU received about $752,000 in 2009 and about $738,000 in 2011, said Chad Mitchell, interim budget director, in a statement.
“This money goes to the General Fund, like tuition and state support,” Mitchell said. “The General Fund supports our core academic activities and related administrative and operating expenses.”
The Admissions Office does not directly receive the application fee revenue. The General Fund, however, supports all administrative offices, which includes the Admissions Office, said Candace Boeninger, assistant vice provost and director of undergraduate admissions.
“Generating the additional applications causes immediate workload on our office ... we can assume that — when enrollment goals are met and, therefore, budget goals are met — we will continue being able to do the work we do,” she said.
The university could not provide final revenue numbers because not all applications have been submitted.
OU’s application fee is $45 unless applicants receive a fee waiver, Boeninger said.
“There are a few instances in which we would waive an application fee,” she said. “The clearest cases are for students who demonstrate significant need or any kind of financial hardship.”
That financial need can be assessed through the National Association for College Admission Counseling, high school guidance departments or standardized testing organizations. High-school students who received fee waivers for the SAT or ACT would also receive an application waiver, she said.
Current OU employees who apply to study at the university are not required to pay an application fee, Boeninger said.
Although athletes being recruited are not eligible for fee waivers due to NCAA guidelines, OU does host targeted recruitment efforts for which they sometimes waive application fees, she said.
“Our fee is actually sort of middle-of-the-pack in terms of its rate,” she said. “Some of our peer institutions are charging $60 and others are charging $40.”
—Pamela Engel contributed to this report.
bv111010@ohiou.edu
