On-campus residents probably will spill over into hotel rooms again next fall, the director of housing said.

A clearer picture will be painted after May 1, the deadline for applicants to back out of their housing contracts with a full refund, Chuck Major said.

As of April 5, the number of contracts signed exceeded capacity by 419 people, Major said.

At the same time last year, the number of excess contracts was at 301.

These numbers include incoming freshmen and transfer students. A total of 3,934 beds are available for students on campus.

For a brief period in March the UW System Board of Regents froze admissions for all UW schools as a result of recent statewide budget cuts, but had little affect on UW-Eau Claire.

The university met its enrollment goal by March 1, said associate director of admissions Kris Anderson.

“It’s tough in a tight budget situation,” Anderson said. “The good news is that more students are choosing UW-Eau Claire.”

This is partly because of more aggressive recruiting techniques, she said. Some of the techniques generally take two to three years to see results.

Anderson said she doesn’t think the looming budget cuts will have an impact on the attractiveness of a campus such as Eau Claire.

Still, she does anticipate a smaller freshmen class for the next couple of years.

This year, slightly more admitted freshmen have agreed to attend the university than in years past, Anderson said.

Typically about 47 to 48 percent of admitted freshmen end up enrolled in the fall. But this year that number will be closer to 55 percent, she said.

Admissions will compensate by admitting fewer transfer students, she said.

The UW System requires that all freshmen and sophomores live in on-campus housing.

UW-Eau Claire does not have to enforce that rule because of the typical overflow of students, Major said.

It has been Eau Claire’s policy to guarantee on-campus housing for all who want it and not put anyone on waiting lists, Major said.

That is the reason for the continued use of hotel space, he said.

“If in reality we end up with a larger freshman class, we will just accommodate as we have the past years,” he said.

The numbers change on a weekly basis, Major said, so it’s hard to determine what the end result will be.

Total enrollment ultimately won’t be finalized until September, he said.

Major said he does not believe there will be a significant drop in admissions or housing applicants in the foreseeable future.

“I’m extremely optimistic,” he said. “We’re seeing the normal types of operations that we’re always seeing.”