SAN MARCOS – To limit enrollment because of budget cuts, California State University San Marcos will admit no new lower-division students in the spring, and it expects to turn away 1,200 applicants.

The university, however, will accept graduate students and those seeking teaching credentials.

Richard Riehl, assistant vice president for enrollment services, said yesterday that no freshmen or sophomores will be accepted in Spring 2004. The campus will admit only juniors and seniors transferring from community colleges within the university's service area – MiraCosta, Palomar and Mt. San Jacinto.

Of the 1,700 undergraduate applicants who applied for the spring semester, 500 can be accepted, Riehl said.

About 7,700 students are enrolled at Cal State San Marcos. The 14-year-old university was expected to enroll about 8,200, but it was forced to limit admissions because of a $304 million state cut to the California State University system's budget and a reduction in its budget. Because of the deep reduction, Cal State imposed a 30 percent fee increase for the 414,000 students attending the 23 campuses.

"There's no question in my mind that we could have had 8,200 if we had been able to enroll them," Riehl said.

Riehl said more students are applying to Cal State San Marcos because the word is out: It is a good school.

"I firmly believe that our reputation as a strong academic institution has grown exponentially," he said, and potential students also are excited about a new look on campus with residence halls, a field house and, soon, a new library.