Enrolment numbers decline for Maritime universities, report says

A new report says enrolment in universities in the Maritimes fell last year after four years of increases.

The study by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission found there were 3,000 fewer university students than 10 years ago.

It says the number of people enrolling in Maritime universities fell by 1.1 per cent in the 2013-14 academic year.

The commission's CEO, Mireille Duguay, says the number of Maritimers enrolling in the region's universities has been decreasing steadily over the last decade.

She says that's the result of a decline in both the university-aged population and demand for a university education among people in the region.

She says efforts by universities to retain and recruit students have worked over the last several years, but weren't enough to maintain enrolment numbers last year.