Despite a national trend that shows graduate school enrollment increasing, Penn State's University Park enrollment has dropped by more than 700 students since 2003.

Brian Borawski, Graduate School Association president, said one reason for Penn State's lower enrollment rates could be visa restrictions for international students.

Although Penn State's enrollment has declined, research by the National Center for Educational Statistics shows that the number of master's degrees earned nationally has risen consistently since 2000. According to the 2004 Digest of Education Statistics, 1,850,271 graduate students were enrolled in U.S. universities during the fall 2000 semester. By fall 2003, 2,097,511 graduate students were enrolled.

University Park had 6,793 graduate students in 2003, and another 4,097 graduate students were enrolled at Commonwealth Campuses, Great Valley, the Dickinson School of Law, the College of Medicine and the Pennsylvania College of Technology.

But during the fall 2005 semester, 6,072 graduate students were enrolled at University Park, and another 3,749 were enrolled at Penn State's other campuses and colleges.

High tuition rates, which influence domestic and international students, also might be contributing to the decline, Borawski said.

"There has been a sharp spike in tuition everywhere across the board in the United States," Borawski said. "And international students pay far more out of pocket."

The job market is a factor in graduate school enrollment, said Eva Pell, vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School.

"In strong economic times, students tend to take jobs rather than go to graduate school," Pell said. "If the economy falters and jobs are less abundant, graduate enrollments increase."

Tuition rates affect full-time and part-time graduate students differently but is not as much of a concern as it is for undergraduate students, Pell said. "Full-time students are largely supported on assistantships. Tuition is paid for as part of the assistantship package," Pell said. "Some of our graduate students are part time. For those students, tuition will become more of a critical factor."

Employers often pay all or part of tuition for part-time students, Pell said.

Katelyn Tilley, Graduate Student Association public relations officer, encourages students to explore all possible opportunities, such as grants and scholarships, to alleviate the financial burden.

"The key incentive for me was the fact that I would be a graduate assistant and would receive a stipend," Tilley said. "There's more security in that."

Many graduate colleges offer assistantships, scholarships and fellowships. Students can also contact the Office of Student Aid or apply to external organizations for aid.

The graduate school has no definite plans to bring in more students, Borawski said.

Pell said the graduate school is a decentralized part of the university where each college and program designs its own enrollment and recruitment strategy.

"We need to do a better job of helping students understand what graduate school is all about and what doors it opens for people," Pell said.

Students are enrolled in graduate school because of the career prospects an advanced degree provides and interest in their chosen fields, Borawski said.

Most graduate students are not motivated by money, although higher-paying jobs are available to them, said Penn State spokeswoman Karen Zitomer.

"They might need a particular degree for a job," Zitomer said. "There is also an honest personal and professional desire to obtain the credentials that are necessary. They wouldn't be in it if their heart wasn't in it."