Florida A&M University is coping with a dramatic decline in enrollment for the second straight year.


FAMU, which receives more revenue from tuition than it does from the state, is preparing for a second straight $6 million loss as a result of the decline in enrollment, interim President Larry Robinson said.

FAMU's beleaguered athletics department, which has been losing on average $1 million a year for the past six years, is also affected by the decline in enrollment because student fees are an important source of funding for the university's intercollegiate sports programs.

"Every dime we get is important, and there are a whole lot of things we could do with those monies if we had them," Robinson said.

There are multiple reasons for FAMU's loss of students, and other historically black institutions are experiencing similar declines.

The U.S. Department of Education changed the Student-Plus loan last year, requiring recipients to have a sound credit rating.

"That sent shock waves through the HBCU community," Robinson said. "Many of us have students who are in lower economic brackets and their families have a much more difficult time with credit."