As the University of Wisconsin-Madison reports that undergraduate applications for fall admission have dropped for the first time in five years, Twin Ports-area schools say their applications are up or have stayed the same.
The University of Wisconsin-Superior has seen an increase in applications and at the College of St. Scholastica and the University of Minnesota Duluth, the numbers remain about the same.
University of Wisconsin officials say the reason for the decrease at the Madison campus isn't clear but it could be the recession or a smaller class of high school graduates, the Associated Press reports. The number of applications dropped 3 percent from a record 25,000 last year to about 24,300 this year.
Al Miller of UWS said the school -- which has seen a 4 percent increase in applications from last year at this time -- is also seeing an increase in deposits. St. Scholastica has, too.
"People should know in terms of funding and accessibility there's hardly a better time to go to college," said Eric Berg, vice president for enrollment management at St. Scholastica. "The vast majority of lenders are operating and fully functional."
