FARGO (AP) - The financial positions of Minot State University-Bottineau and Williston State College have progressively declined since 2003, a financial review of the university system says.

The report, which will be reviewed today by the state Board of Higher Education, says the schools need to come up with long-term solutions to restore their financial conditions.

The report also cautioned six campuses - including North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota - to carefully consider the impact of additional debt.

Board President John Q. Paulsen said the report highlights the importance of the university system's $63 million budget request to the Legislature.

"Several of the smaller institutions have financial stresses which I fear absent the restoration of the base funding amounts could create very serious issues for some of those campuses, even within the next biennium," Paulsen said.

Minot State-Bottineau is crafting a plan to increase enrollment and its budget more efficiently, Dean Ken Grosz said. The plan will be in place by the end of June, he said.

Loss of enrollment is driving the financial challenges at the school, which has 619 students but is losing full-time students, Grosz said.

Full-time equivalent enrollment declined 16 percent from 2003 to 2006, the largest decrease in the university system.

"We're pretty spare and pretty lean, but that doesn't prevent us from taking another look and getting even slimmer," Grosz said.

The college is not deficit spending but has had to dip into reserves, the report said.

Williston State reported an 8 percent drop in full-time equivalent enrollment from 2003 to 2006, the second-largest decline in the system.

Williston State College President Joe McCann was out of the office until Friday and unavailable for comment.

Laura Glatt, the system's vice chancellor for administrative affairs, said loss of enrollment is the largest threat to financial conditions of the campuses, including the larger campuses.

"Significant changes or losses in enrollment could quickly change their financial position," she said.

Full-time equivalent enrollment declined 1 percent for the university system from 2003 to 2006.

All but three campuses - NDSU, Dickinson State University and Lake Region State College - reported declines of full-time students in that time period, the report said.