Texas Southern University’s enrollment has fallen to its lowest point in five years - down 15 percent from the same time last year, according to preliminary numbers released Friday.

The drop-off, with 9,544 students enrolled this fall, follows months of intense criticism and scrutiny from state lawmakers, including Gov. Rick Perry’s threat of conservatorship for the financially troubled university.

“Unfortunately, a lot of those conversations (in the state Legislature) took place when students were making their decisions,” said Kimberly Williams, vice president of external relations and marketing at TSU. “They will come back.”

“I know people that were here that have transferred to other schools because they thought their financial aid and other things were going to be messed up.  Because people say that money is going to the wrong places,” TSU student Brittney Powell said.

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TSU students gather on campus.

The state’s largest historically black university also is dealing with administrative turnover and the ongoing trial of former President Priscilla Slade, who faces felony charges related to the use of school money to furnish and landscape her house.

Williams said a variety of factors, including rising tuition, contributed to the declining number of students on campus this fall.

“Everybody is like there’s things going on,” TSU senior Broderick Baker said. “If you are an incoming freshman and people are saying rumor basically that people are stealing your money would you come here? Not at all.”

Meanwhile, many universities elsewhere reported increases, with Sam Houston State, Texas A&M and the University of Texas at El Paso reaching all-time highs in enrollment. The University of Houston’s enrollment held steady at 34,660.

The universities will submit final figures in October, but they usually do not vary much from the preliminary numbers, officials said.

After a period of rapid growth, TSU reached a high of 11,635 students in 2004. The numbers dropped slightly each of the next two years before the sharp decline this fall.

It’s unclear whether the drop is because of fewer freshmen, fewer returning students or both, Williams said. The university did not provide a breakdown of the numbers, which are based on enrollment for the 20^th day of classes this semester.

Enrollment is an important factor in the amount of money that universities receive from the state. Still, there should not be an immediate impact to TSU’s budget, considering university officials projected a 15 percent enrollment decline while drafting a $140 million spending plan for the current fiscal year.

State Rep. Garnet Coleman, a Houston Democrat whose district includes TSU, said he believes the enrollment drop will be temporary.

“Most people expected a decline,” Coleman said. “It’s not a surprise because people want to make sure everything is settled before sending there children there. We’re very careful about the purchases we make.”

What’s more, Coleman said, having fewer students could be beneficial at a time when the university is seeking stability. Campus leaders are developing a long-range plan to address financial and management missteps and lagging graduation rates.

The height of debate over TSU’s future came during the legislative session that ended in May. Perry had called for a conservator to replace the university’s governing board, but backed away after learning that the plan could jeopardize its accreditation.

Even then, the university’s accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, announced last month that it is taking a deeper - and unscheduled - look into TSU’s financial accountability and leadership.

The loss of accreditation would diminish the value of degrees from TSU and would cause the federal government to stop providing financial aid to students. Nearly two-thirds of the university’s students receive need-based Pell grants.

“The current notoriety of the university does seem to be a source of concern,” said Paula Roe, scholarship coordinator for Project Grad, which works with 5,000 Houston students, including hundreds at Yates High School near TSU.

“Academically able African-American students really do have lots of options and they are courted,” Roe said. “They are obviously making other selections, and I think that’s to the detriment of TSU and the Houston community.”