HERSHEY -- About 2 percent fewer students this year than last have accepted offers to enroll at the University, though the number of undergraduate applicants has remained steady at about 27,000, an official told the University's Board of Trustees Friday.

The University has received 35,219 graduate and undergraduate applications, roughly 0.6 percent more than the 35,003 it had received at this time last year, acting vice-president and provost Charles Hosler said.

University President Joab Thomas said the number of applications indicates that the University is continuing to attract students despite a weak economy. Enrollments at public institutions have steadied in recent years, said Charles R. Fuget, the state's deputy secretary and commissioner for higher education.

The University is under considerable pressure to accept students, especially during a recession, Fuget said. Students are choosing public institutions, such as Penn State, instead of private colleges because they are cheaper, he said.

The University and State College must maintain a student-resident balance, Thomas said, citing pressure to hold enrollment at the present level. The administration has limited the number of students at University Park in the past few years, Thomas said.

Hosler said 3,703 students have accepted offers and paid deposits to attend at University Park next year, an increase of about 4 percent over the 3,545 who had accepted and paid at this time last year. Thomas said about 1.5 percent more students attended University Park this year than last.

But the Commonwealth campuses have experienced an 8 percent drop in such acceptances, Hosler said. So far this year 3,149 students have accepted enrollment offers to Commonwealth campuses, down from 3,423 at this time last year.

Trustee J. Lloyd Huck said that although enrollment tends to increase even during the recession, the University must be careful.

"We ought to watch the Commonwealth campuses," Huck said.

Huck said many areas of the state are economically depressed. That affects the Commonwealth campuses because most campuses get their enrollment from local students.

The University must consider "marketing techniques" to help enrollment at the Commonwealth campuses, Huck said.

Richard Grubb, senior vice president and dean of the Commonwealth Educational System, attributed the decrease in applications to Commonwealth campuses to a decrease in high school enrollment in the state. He agreed with Huck that the campuses and the University are trying to attract new applicants.

"We're recruiting and trying to promote the campuses," Grubb said.

As of March 11, the University has made a total of 26,800 offers systemwide, an increase of 3.82 percent from last year. Offers are down 3 percent at the Commonwealth campuses, Hosler said.