The University of Vermont is facing “a number of serious challenges” such as declining enrollment and rollbacks in federal funding, President Marlene Tromp announced to a ballroom full of staff and faculty at the first-ever “State of the University” address on Tuesday morning.
But Tromp shared an upbeat vision for the university’s future, including plans to fundraise and to expand the pool of students eligible for free tuition.
“We will not be daunted in the face of the challenges before us,” Tromp said.
The hourlong address marked the beginning of Tromp’s second year as president of UVM. She took the helm at an especially turbulent time for universities that depend on federal support for grants and research.
Enrollment has also been declining — a trend that will likely continue, Tromp said. In May, the university projected a 7 percent decline in undergraduate enrollment this academic year, creating an approximately $12 million deficit in the general fund.
That projection appears to have come true, according to enrollment numbers Tromp shared during her talk. This fall, about 10,800 undergraduate students are enrolled, a roughly 7 percent decline from the 11,600 enrolled last year.
Tromp attributed the decline to a “demographic cliff” affecting universities across the country, and to Vermont’s aging population. But she noted that these changes have been on the horizon for years, and the university is following a strategic plan “so we can be proactive rather than reactive.”
President Tromp at Tuesday’s event Credit: Lucy Tompkins © Seven Days
In a short interview with Seven Days, Tromp said the university addressed the budget deficit in part by not filling vacancies, and that no faculty were laid off.
Despite the decline in federal support, UVM brought in $222.6 million in research funding during fiscal year 2026, a $15 million increase from the previous year. And philanthropic gifts to the university exceeded $96 million, making 2026 its second-best fundraising year.
Tromp on Tuesday also announced several new projects and initiatives. Students whose households earn $125,000 or less a year will be able to attend UVM tuition-free beginning in fall 2027 — an increase from the current income threshold of $100,000.
The university plans to begin a private fundraising campaign this fall to help make up for the decline in federal grants and to raise more scholarship and research money.
Tromp is also launching a new initiative called “Vermont Listens,” modeled after a project she created in Idaho while president of Boise State University. In front of a silent audience, the program will bring together people of different political points of view to talk about what they value.
The goal is to strengthen understanding and civil discourse, Tromp said. The first events will take place this fall in Bennington and Burlington.
