Stockton University has announced personnel cuts and voluntary buyouts as part of a broader plan to address a projected $20 million budget shortfall. School officials attribute the financial squeeze to declining student enrollment over recent years along with significant reductions in state funding. The university previously offered buyouts to faculty and staff while freezing hiring in an effort to curb rising operating costs. University leaders maintain that structural changes are necessary to ensure the long-term stability and core educational mission of the institution.