Colleges brace for enrollment drops after campus unrest and botched FAFSA rollout

Emerson College announced Tuesday that it will begin staff layoffs following a significant enrollment drop it says was caused in part by “negative press and social media” about pro-Palestinian protests on campus. More colleges are preparing for the prospect of similar enrollment declines as a perfect storm of factors threatens to drive students to pursue alternative routes after high school.

In an email this week to faculty and staff, Emerson College President Jay Bernhardt said that the school is responding to an enrollment decline he anticipates will only affect fiscal 2025, but that budget cuts from loss of tuition should be anticipated for the next several years.