CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) – Southern Illinois University officials say fall enrollment is down 7.5 percent from the same period a year ago.

Interim Chancellor Brad Colwell says 15,987 have enrolled this fall, compared to 17,292 last year. University officials said Tuesday they aren’t surprised by the drop in enrollment.

University officials say the loss of 1,305 students translates into about $6.5 million of lost revenue, but the university has already accounted for it in a prior $21 million cut in spending.

Colwell said the university is looking to the future and will use market research to determine how the school is perceived and what students are looking for.

Colwell said the goal for fall 2017 is to stem the drop in enrollment and increase the freshman class by 10 percent.