U of M will halt admissions to 12 PhD programs The move is expected to help address the school's estimated budget shortfall of $166 million. Author: The University of Minnesota will not be accepting new programs into 12 PhD programs this fall as COVID-19 continues to strain the school’s budget. As first reported by the Star Tribune, the university will halt new enrollment in 12 liberal arts PhD programs, including English, history and gender, women and sexuality studies. Programs outside the College of Liberal Arts will not be affected. The move will save the university between $2 million and $4 million, the newspaper notes. But the university is facing budget shortfalls of around $166 million, according to a Board of Regents report. Of that shortfall, around $123 million comes from a loss of revenue from student housing, dining, parking and athletics.