Hutchinson and Willmar, MN

FINANCIAL TRENDS AND HIGHLIGHTS For the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2012

Creating Opportunities, Changing Lives.

Ridgewater College

FINANCIAL TRENDS AND HIGHLIGHTS REPORT For the year ended June 30, 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Financial Performance Measures/CFI 3

Key Drivers Behind Current Year CFI Changes 7

Per Full Year Equivalent Student Data 8

Student Revenue Information 10

Financial Statement Highlights 12

Future Financial Outlook 14

Budget Outlook For FY 2013 And Beyond 15

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Ridgewater College

Fiscal Year 2012 Financial Trends and Highlights

Composite Financial Index (CFI)

Composite Financial Index increased in FY 2012: Ridgewater’s financial health received a marginal increase in FY 2012 as measured by the Composite Finance Index (CFI) performance indicator. Our CFI increased from 4.91 in FY 2011 to 5.08 in FY 2012 maintaining our cushion above the NACUBO threshold.

CFI Comparison 5.08 5.50 4.91 5.00 4.50 3.90 4.00 3.50 3.00 2.50 2.00 1.50 1.00 0.50 0.00 2010 2011 2012 Ridgewater College College Benchmark AVERAGE MnSCU AVERAGE NACUBO HLC

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CFI college benchmark comparisons: The Ridgewater FY 2012 CFI again exceeded all four of the “benchmark” comparisons: MnSCU System Average, NACUBO, *College Benchmark Average and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) “Above the Zone” limit. This marks the 3rd year in a row that Ridgewater has exceeded all four of these benchmarks. Overall, the FY 2012 CFI of 5.08 is Ridgewater’s strongest performance within the three year period.

* College Benchmark Average consists of 8 colleges Ridgewater has selected as a benchmark group for CFI comparisons based on comparable student enrollment (FYE): , Dakota County Technical College, Inver Hills Community College, College, Northland Community & Technical College, Riverland Community College, , and St. Cloud Technical and Community College.

College Benchmark CFI Comparison 7.00 6.50 6.00 5.50 5.00 4.50 4.00 3.50 3.00 2.50 2.00 1.50 1.00 0.50 0.00 (0.50) (1.00) (1.50) FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 Central Lakes College 1.17 1.97 0.86 Dakota County TC 5.56 5.50 4.62 Inver Hills CC 4.33 3.77 3.07 1.99 3.60 2.67 Northland CC & TC 1.77 1.80 2.48 Ridgewater College 3.90 4.91 5.08 Riverland CC 3.06 2.82 1.96 South Central College 5.57 6.69 4.53 St. Cloud TC & CC 4.25 4.82 4.30

College benchmark Institutions: All college benchmark CFIs decreased in FY 2012 with the exception of Ridgewater College and Northland CC & TC. The Ridgewater College CFI is the highest within the college benchmark group for FY 2012 and is the 3rd highest within the MnSCU system.

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Ridgewater College CFI Components

Primary Reserve Ratio Trend 2010 ‐ 2012 0.45 0.40 0.38 0.35 0.29 0.30 0.25 0.21 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 2010 2011 2012

Ridgewater College Benchmark Average MnSCU Average SFAHE

The Primary Reserve Ratio exceeds the College Benchmark average and the MnSCU average, while it is slightly less than the Strategic Financial Analysis for Higher Education (SFAHE) recommendation of .40. The increase (from .29 to .38) from last year indicates the college has significantly improved its financial strength and flexibility by increasing expendable net assets in proportion to reduced total expenses. This gives us a snapshot of how long the college could function using our expendable reserves without additional assets. Our ratio indicates that the college has the ability to cover over 4.5 months of operating expense coverage.

Return on Net Assets Trend 2010 ‐ 2012 18.0% 15.3% 16.0% 13.8% 14.0% 12.0% 10.0% 8.0% 5.5% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% 2010 2011 2012 Ridgewater College Benchmark Average MnSCU Average SFAHE

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The Return on Net Assets (RONA) Ratio of 5.5% exceeds the College Benchmark Average however it lags behind the MnSCU system average and SFAHE recommend average in FY 2012. Our 3‐year RONA average is at 11.53% which when reduced by the 3‐year average inflation rate of 2.29% gives Ridgewater a real rate of return during this time of 9.24%. The real rate of return on net assets for FY 2012, after inflation, is 3.43%.

Viability Ratio Trend 2010 ‐ 2012 4.50 3.93 4.00 3.50 2.98 3.00 2.50 2.21 2.00 1.50 1.00 0.50 0.00 2010 2011 2012

Ridgewater College Benchmark Average MnSCU Average SFAHE

Our Viability Ratio has exceeded all three benchmarks again in FY 2012 marking this the sixth straight year that Ridgewater has achieved this goal. SFAHE suggests that a ratio over 1.23 or greater indicates that there are sufficient resources to satisfy debt obligations. With a 3‐year average ratio of 3.04 Ridgewater College has sufficient resources to handle existing debt and assume the new debt associated with phase II of our Technical Instruction renovation project.

Operating Margin Ratio Trend 2010 ‐ 2012

4.5% 3.5% 4.0% 3.5% 3.1% 3.0% 2.5% 2.0% 1.5% 1.0% 0.5% 0.0% ‐0.4% ‐0.5% ‐1.0% 2010 2011 2012

Ridgewater College Benchmark Average MnSCU Average SFAHE

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Our Operating Margin Ratio continued its positive trend with another strong performance in FY 2012 decreasing slightly from 3.5% in FY 2011 to 3.1% in FY 2012. SFAHE considers a ratio of 2% to be adequate in order to keep up with growth in operating expenses; our ratio of 3.1% demonstrates our ability to fund operations. Our FY 2012 ratio exceeds the SFAHE recommended percentage and the College Benchmark Average and is just slightly behind the MnSCU Average.

Key factors contributing to our positive CFI

Several factors contributed to our positive increase in CFI in FY 2012. First, while student FYEs decreased by 156 FYE, tuition and fee revenue increases allowed us to slightly increase our operating revenues by .54% from FY 2011.

To add to the challenge of lower enrollment and corresponding lower than expected operating revenues, our non‐operating revenues decreased significantly in FY 2012. State appropriation revenue decreased by nearly $1.6 million or 10.5% from FY 2011 as MnSCU budgets were reduced to help to offset the State’s budget deficit. Federal grant revenue was also lower in FY 2012 by approximately $1.5 million or 15% due to lower federal financial aid and the end of the federal ARRA funding in FY 2011.

Next, there were significant operating expense reductions totaling $2.8 million in FY 2012. A major portion of these reductions occurred in personnel costs where we reduced our obligations by nearly 5% or $1.277 million from FY 2011. Ridgewater has had 18 positions reductions over the past 3‐years due to retirements, layoffs and attrition. Once again we saw significant reductions in all other operating expenses by over $1.5 million due mainly to budget monitoring and frugal purchasing by faculty and staff.

Finally, on the strength of increases in our primary reserve and viability ratios and a minor reduction in our operating margin we were able to increase our CFI by .17 from 4.91 in FY 2011 to 5.08 in FY 2012. A major component these ratios is the increase to total assets and the overall net asset balance. As a result of a $1.9 million decrease in capital appropriations our return on net assets ratio decreased by .30 from .85 in FY 2011 to .55 in FY 2012.

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Ridgewater College Per Full Year Equivalent Student Data

Operating expenses and direct student expenses per FYE decreased again in FY 2012 mainly due to a $2.8 million reduction in operating expenses. This is the third year in a row that direct student expenses have decreased. Reductions in operating expenses occurred as we had a 4.4% reduction in student FYE in FY 2012 which increased the direct student expense percentage by 1.1% per FYE.

Operating & Direct Student Expenses (Per FYE) $14,000 $12,000 $10,000 $8,000 $6,000 $4,000 $2,000 $0 2010 2011 2012 Total Operating Expenses $11,900 $11,177 $10,860 Direct Student Expense $7,456 $7,356 $7,265

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The % direct student expense comparison of “benchmark” colleges per student chart shows all “benchmark” colleges within a 6% range from a high of 68% to a low of 62%. Several schools within the comparison, including Ridgewater, showed a slight increase in the percentage of direct student expenses in FY 2012 as a result of lower total operating expenses.

% Direct Student Expense (Per Student) Comparison of Benchmark Colleges 70% 69% 68% 67% 66% 65% 64% 63% 62% 61% 60% FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 Central Lakes College 63% 64% 67% Dakota County TC 64% 67% 66% Inver Hills CC 65% 64% 65% Lake Superior College 69% 68% 68% Northland CC & TC 68% 65% 62% Ridgewater College 63% 66% 67% Riverland CC 65% 66% 67% South Central College 64% 68% 68% St. Cloud TC & CC 65% 68% 67%

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The % of Student‐based revenue per student increased by over $283 in FY 2012 as overall revenues decreased by nearly 11.5% or approximately $5.1 million. Student‐based revenue was virtually identical in FY 2011 & 2012 student FYE in FY 2012 was 4.4% lower than in FY 2011. The reduction of 156 FYE was the main factor behind the percentage increase in student based revenue.

% Student‐Based Revenue (Per Student) Comparison of Benchmark Colleges 65% 63% 61% 59% 57% 55% 53% 51% 49% 47% 45% FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 Central Lakes College 52% 51% 56% Dakota County TC 55% 52% 54% Inver Hills CC 60% 60% 64% Lake Superior College 55% 47% 57% Northland CC & TC 48% 48% 49% Ridgewater College 49% 50% 57% Riverland CC 49% 50% 55% South Central College 54% 52% 56% St. Cloud TC & CC 61% 55% 59%

Our appropriation revenue per FYE declined for the 4th straight year on the heels of a 10.5% decrease in appropriation allocation for the FY 2012/2013 biennium. The reduction in appropriation revenue per FYE correlated directly with the increases in student based revenue and financial aid.

The FY 2012 capital appropriation revenue per FYE decreased significantly due to lower capital & HEAPR funding in FY 2012. This percentage will increase significantly next year due to the approval of $13.851 million for the Technical Instruction renovation project on the Willmar Campus.

Grant revenue excluding financial aid per FYE decreased by $313 per FYE in FY 2012 due mainly to the ARRA federal funds received in FY 2011.

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Revenue By Type (Per FYE) $14,000 $12,000 $10,000 $8,000 $6,000 $4,000 $2,000 $0 Capital Total Student‐ Appropriation Grant Revenue Total Revenue Appropriation based Revenue Revenue Excl Fin Aid Revenue FY 2010 $12,918 $6,267 $4,544 $1,112 $995 FY 2011 $12,118 $6,213 $4,289 $681 $935 FY 2012 $11,278 $6,496 $4,013 $147 $622

Revenue By Type (Per FYE) $14,000 $12,000 $10,000 $8,000 $6,000 $4,000 $2,000 $0 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 Total Revenue $12,918 $12,118 $11,278 Total Student‐based Revenue $6,267 $6,213 $6,496 Appropriation Revenue $4,544 $4,289 $4,013 Capital Appropriation Revenue $1,112 $681 $147 Grant Revenue Excl Fin Aid $995 $935 $622

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Financial Statement Highlights

Ridgewater College ended FY 2012 with a positive operating margin and a 5.5% increase to net assets. The majority of the College’s performance measures increased during the year and were at, or above MnSCU system average, or exceeded the College benchmark averages.

Major factors impacting our financial results include: Revenues:  Revenues decreased by nearly $3.07 million a 7.5% reduction from FY 2011. o Operating revenues remained flat in FY 2012. . Enrollment decreased by 156 FYE or 4.4%. . Tuition increased by 3% or $4.52 per credit to $155.10 per credit. o State appropriations decreased by over 10.5% from FY 2011 a reduction of $1.6 million. o Federal, state and private grants decreased by 10.8% totaling $1.24 million. . Reduction of $966K in federal ARRA funding, final year in FY 2011. . $500K less in federal Pell grant funding. . Increase in State grant funding of $300K. o Capital appropriations decreased by $1.9 million from FY 2011. Expenses:  Operating expenses decreased by over $2.8 million in FY 2012. o Salary and Benefits decreased by nearly 5%, a reduction of $1.28 million. o All other operating expenses decreased by 11% a reduction of $1.54 million.

Key Statement of Revenue, Expenses, and Changes in Net Asset Trends:

Key Statement of Revenue, Expenses, and Changes in Net Asset Trends (Millions) $24,000 $22,000 $20,000 $21,306 $18,000 $20,241 $20,663 $16,000 $13,626 Unrestricted Net Assets $17,038 $14,000 $11,135 $12,000 Net Operating Revenue $10,000 $7,626 $8,212 Capital Appropriations $8,000 $6,000 $3,907 $2,407 Investment In Capital $4,000 Assets $873 $2,000 $499 $‐ $1,420 $1,179 $(2,000) $(542) $(168) 2009 2010 2011 2012

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Ridgewater College increased the “unrestricted net assets” balance by $2.5 million to a total of $13.626 million in FY 2012 which represents a 22.4% increase from FY 2011.

“Investment in Capital Assets” decreased by $643K as revenue from capital appropriations decreased significantly by over $1.9 million or 79%, due lower HEAPR funding. Continued depreciation and the reduction in asset capitalization was the main reason for the decrease in FY 2012.

The unrestricted net asset balance increased again in FY 2012. It is made up of the following reserves and designations:  Actual reserve balance of 7% or $2.5 million representing 18% of the total balance.  Projected reserves for FY 2013 & 2014 deficits of $1.25 million, or 9.5% of the total balance.  Funds designated for programs makes up the remaining 72.5% which is $9.876 million.

Unrestricted Net Assets & Actual Reserve Trend (Millions) 15,000 13,626 14,000 13,000 12,000 11,135 11,000 10,000 9,000 8,212 Unrestricted 7,398 7,626 8,000 Net Assets 6,054 7,000 5,801 Actual Reserve 6,000 5,000 4,000 2,399 2,577 2,505 3,000 2,189 2,207 2,160 2,100 2,000 1,000 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Ridgewater College has and will continue to budget conservatively to support growth in our unrestricted net assets to support additional costs associated with our technical instruction renovation capital project and provide assets to allow for investment in our premier programs.

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Future Financial Outlook

Although Ridgewater’s mission and strategic goals are generally supported by our financial resources there are still reasons for concern in the coming years. The college will continue to proactively address economic variables that impact our financial health and keep our mission and strategic plan aligned with financial resources in the future. We know that the college will continue to look at best practices, procedural enhancements and staffing levels to maintain our CFI goal of 3.0. Our goal is not simply surviving during this time of recession and slow growth, but to come out of this positioned for future success.

There are several economic challenges that will impact our fiscal sustainability:

 Demographics and enrollment

 Tuition

 State appropriations

 Employee contracts

 Student financial aid

 Facilities R & R

 Capital and HEAPR project appropriations

Ridgewater College Tuition vs State Appropriation

60% 57% 55% 56% 55% 54% 55% 52% 56% 51% 55% Total

50% of

49% 45% 48% 44% 45% 46%

Percentage 45% 45% 44% 43% 40%

35% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Projected 2013 State Appropriation Tuition

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Ridgewater College Enrollment History

6,200 5,996 6,011 6,100 5,959 5,909 6,000 5,779 5,762 5,900 5,730 5,800 5,593 5,606 5,615 5,700 5,492 5,540 5,600 5,500 5,400 5,300 5,200 5,100 5,000 4,900 4,800 4,700 4,600 4,500 4,400 4,300 4,200 4,100 4,000 3,900 3,800 3,700 3,514 3,537 3,600 3,384 3,381 3,500 3,292 3,304 3,306 3,400 3,221 3,196 3,240 3,300 3,145 3,200 3,024 3,100 3,000 2,900 2,800

Total FYE Headcount

Budget Outlook for FY 2013 and Beyond

FY 2013 budget assumptions:

 FY 2013 student enrollment is projected at 3,200 FYE, a decrease from FY 2012 of 181 FYE.

 Tuition for two‐year colleges was capped at 4% by the legislature summer 2011 and our budget assumes a 4% increase in tuition for FY 2013. This will increase tuition by $6.20 per credit to $161.30.

 No increase to student fees with the exception of a $.53 increase to the technology fee.

 State appropriation revenue will decrease slightly from FY 2012 due to changes in the allocation percentage from 2.68% to 2.64%. We expect an additional reduction of approximately $207K.

 Projected personnel costs are based on projected contract settlements and estimated staffing levels. A 3.5% increase to total compensation is expected which includes potential health care increases of 17.8%. Page | 15

 Non‐personnel costs are projected to decrease by 3% a reduction of over $230K in FY 2013.

Impact on FY 2013 Performance Measures FY 2013 CFI will increase from FY 2012 CFI of 5.08 to 5.31 based primarily on the strength of the increased net assets and the influx of capital appropriation revenue. Under this scenario the primary reserve, return on net asset and viability ratios increase from FY 2012. The operating margin ratio decreases sharply and shows a negative ratio for the first time since 2010.

Ridgewater’s primary reserve ratio will increase by over .08 based on the increase in net assets for FY 2013. Although our rate is still ahead of the NACUBO threshold and SFAHE recommendation we will now have the ability to cover nearly 5 months of operating expenses.

Our return on net assets (RONA) ratio increases by .48 in FY 2013 due mainly to capital appropriations received for our technical instruction renovation project. Assuming an inflation of 3% our real rate of return is well over 7.3% for the year.

The viability Ratio continues to exceed the SFAHE recommendation and the NACUBO threshold in FY 2013 which assures us that we have sufficient resources to assume the new debt from the 2012 capital appropriation.

The operating margin ratio is assumed to be negative under the current assumptions and should not be considered as the plan. We will be proactive in looking at expense and revenue budget to determine the best plan in order to proceed.

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FY 2014 budget assumptions:

 FY 2014 student enrollment is projected at 3,150 FYE, a decrease of 50 FYE from FY 2013.

 Budget assumes a Tuition increase of $145 per student approximately 3%.

 State appropriation is unknown at this point a conservative estimate would be to consider a slight decrease due to a reduction in our allocation percentage.

 Personnel costs are based on projected contract settlements and estimated staffing levels. A 2.5% increase seems reasonable, which includes potential health care increases of nearly 18%.

 Non‐personnel costs are projected to decrease by 5%.

 Continued investment in costs associated with our capital project.

Future Financial Planning Conclusion:

Fortunately our FY 2012 results have prepared us to be in a good position as we deal with the uncertainties of the future. Obviously the projected FY 2013 and 2014 data is a best estimate with more details to be determined within the next two years. It does however provide an idea of our projected financial results and gives us an opportunity to proactively plan accordingly.

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Questions concerning information provided in this report or requests for additional financial information should be addressed to:

Dan Holtz Vice President of Finance and Operations Ridgewater College 2101 15th Avenue NW Willmar, MN 56201 [email protected] 320‐222‐5205

Hutchinson Campus 2 Century Avenue SE Hutchinson, MN 55350 (320) 234‐8500

Willmar Campus 2101 15th Avenue NW PO Box 1097 (320) 222‐5200

(800) 722‐1151

www.ridgewater.edu

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