DeKALB – The University Council discussed increased enrollment and updates to the new budget for fiscal year 2026 on Wednesday afternoon in Altgeld Hall.
ENROLLMENT INCREASES AT NIU
Executive Vice President and Provost Laurie Elish-Piper opened the meeting by highlighting the increase of enrollment at NIU.
NIU saw 2,435 new freshmen enroll, up 22% compared to last fall, and total university enrollment reached 16,078 on the 10th day of classes, increasing 4.3% from fall 2024. Additionally, the average high school GPA for incoming freshmen ties the record set in 2023 at 3.42.
“We’re bringing in a really academically qualified freshmen class, which is exciting,” Elish-Piper said.
However, she noted a decrease in international student enrollment at NIU.
“We’re probably not surprised to see the decrease in international students because of the difficulty with getting visas and the pause with getting visas, and because of travel bans, and a number of variables that have made it difficult for international students to get enrolled and to start here at NIU,” Elish-Piper said.
The Undocumented Student Resource Center released a statement last week offering guidance and advice to students in the event that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) comes to campus.
BUDGET UPDATES AND FY ’26
The new budgeting process implemented by NIU for FY ’26, which runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, was officially approved at a Board of Trustees meeting in June.
Traditionally, NIU used an incremental budgeting system which requires only marginal changes to the budget at the start of each fiscal year. The zero-based budgeting method requires a justification for every expense starting from a “zero-base” at the beginning of the fiscal year.
Instead of a guaranteed set amount of money distributed to each division of the budget at the beginning of the fiscal year, the budget starts at $0 and any money allocation afterward must be justified.
NIU Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Administration and Finance George Middlemist provided updates on the budget for FY ’25.
“We are in the process of closing the year out,” Middlemist said. “Our accountants are all hard at work making sure we’ve recorded all revenues, making sure we’ve recorded all the expenses.”
He explained that increased enrollment at NIU doesn’t mean that NIU should take its budget responsibilities lightly.
“I want us to celebrate the good enrollment news,” Middlemist said. “I don’t want us to think that that takes the pressure off of us in terms of being fiscally responsible or having a balanced budget.”
The next University Council meeting will take place at 3 p.m. on Oct. 8 in Altgeld Hall, Room 103.
