Hard economic times cause the University of Washington to instate enrollment freeze

The University of Washington froze enrollment on nearly 325 students who would have been accepted to campus in Seattle during the Spring quarter.

Governor Christine Gregoire’s proposed budget has caused the university to take a $116 million cut in state funding. Administrators instated the freeze in a decision made last week. They are claiming that it was a necessary measure to take. The 325 students who were given the run around will have three choices. They can go ahead and cancel their application, receiving a refund $55 application fee; they’ll be able to transfer their acceptance to the Bothell or Tacoma branches of the university, or they can put their applications on hold and ask to be reconsidered for Fall enrollment.

Of the 325 who were “frozen,” there were no athletes. Some engineering majors were also excluded.

Last year, the school set records for the number of applying freshman. 20,000 students applied for 5,500 openings. It is anticipated that there will be even more applications in the coming semesters. It also seems that current students will be in school longer.

In addition to an enrollment freeze, the UW has also instituted a hiring freeze for jobs across the board.

To stay informed about the effects of the current economy, read Employment Crossroads.