Even before COVID-19 struck the University of Vermont, Suresh Garimella, its president, knew the institution faced serious financial pressures that needed to be addressed.
The number of high school seniors in the state was expected to decline, reducing one of the easiest-to-reach pools of new students. The university’s high tuition made it increasingly difficult to attract out-of-state students. Its state subsidies, meanwhile, remained among the lowest in the country and seemed unlikely to change anytime soon.
