A major push to boost Cuesta College’s enrollment level to that of a mid-sized college fell short, president Gil Stork said July 11 at a Board of Trustees meeting.

The label change from “small” to “mid-sized” would have allowed the school to collect an additional $3.3 million over three years from a state stability fund. Cuesta has been considered mid-sized in the past, but budget cuts forced the school to trim course offerings and cull roll sheets.

Heading into summer, the school’s marketing department blitzed local media with ads encouraging students to take summer classes in order to get the school over the final hump, said Shannon Hill, executive director of advancement and the Cuesta College foundation. She said the school met its goal for summer, but an audit of the fall/spring enrollment found fewer full-time students than expected.

“I wanted so badly to give everyone a win,” Hill said. “But the opportunity is still there, and I look forward to achieving it next year.”

The summer enrollment can still be counted toward the 2012/2013 school year, but Cuesta won’t see any additional funds for at least a year.