A fourth budget scenario was presented Thursday at a Slippery Rock University Council of Trustees’ finance and administrative affairs committee meeting.

The fourth scenario could result in a deficit of more than $6.3 million.

Carrie Birckbichler, vice president for finance and administration, shared the fourth budget scenario and compared to it the three budget scenarios council had seen in the May meeting.

All four scenarios carry a deficit.

The fourth scenario differs in that it anticipates no increase in tuition and additional factors such as delays in hiring personnel and increasing intercession costs.

“I think next month we’ll have much better data,” she said.

First-year student enrollment for the fall semester also could impact budget-planning scenarios. The goal is to have 1,500 incoming students each year, according to President William Behre.

The comprehensive planning process included a 1% tuition increase, Birckbichler said at the May meeting. A 2% tuition increase was voted on by council in a previous meeting, but it has not been approved by the board of governors of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), which voted April 14 to freeze tuition for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year.

Without a tuition increase and factoring in that the state could approve the full budgeting request, the first scenario could have a deficit of $2.33 million.

The second plan assumes the state won’t grant a full budgeting request, leaving a deficit of $5.8 million.

The final budgeting scenario, the “worst-case scenario,” according to Birckbichler, showed a potential deficit of $7.52 million.

The finalized budget will be presented in June and go into effect in July.