Sara Tiradossi / Winonan

Some Winona State University projects are currently on hold due to a $2-3 million budget deficit, according to Student Senate president Nicole Zimmerman at the senate meeting on Sept. 14.

In a statement last week, Zimmerman said the deficit is due to low enrollment and a current tuition freeze. She added this meant some projects will be stalled until further notice.

Campus organizing intern with Students United, Ashlyn Crawford, said she knew from faculty, staff and the student senate meetings that the university is experiencing a big budget deficit this year.

Crawford said she believes it has to do with the bonding bill not being passed in Minnesota.

The bonding bill was a bill in the Minnesota Legislature that would have supplied money for organizations in Minnesota to conduct projects and upgrades.

Winona State was involved in a bonding bill asking for money to repair buildings, repair rooms and work on Education Village, but since the bill was not passed, the university was not able to receive the requested money and upgrade certain facilities, Crawford said.

As previously mentioned by Zimmerman and the student senate, the decreased enrollment also has to do with the university’s deficit.

“The less students that come here, the less money the university makes. So when enrollment is low, students aren’t attending the university and aren’t coming back either,” Crawford said. “This is affecting our budget and how much money the university has.”

According to The Winonan’s January 2016 article “Professors, students find motivation as enrollment, retainment decreases,” the enrollment rate at Winona State has been decreasing since 2011 when the number of incoming first-year students dropped from 1,873 students in 2011 to 1,642 students in 2015, according to Winona State’s Institutional Planning, Assessment and Research.

The department also said in the 2013 spring semester only 76 percent of first-year students returned to the university.

Crawford said she knows the university is working recruiting a more diverse student population as a way to combat low enrollment.

She also said retention will positively impact recruitment, enrollment and making students want to stay here in the long run.

“I want to see Winona thrive as a university, and I want students to do good, come here and stay here,” Crawford said. “I know a lot of schools here have to work on the retention of students and Winona State is one of them.”

Winona State’s admissions office could not be reached to for a comment, and Zimmerman declined to comment any further.

-By Sara Tiradossi