The University of California at Merced, the youngest campus in the system, is preparing for a windfall of publicity in two weeks, when Michelle Obama speaks at commencement. The first lady’s visit is bound to bring national attention to a campus that, just a few years ago, was struggling to attract as many students as it had hoped.

Ms. Obama’s speech is also bringing unexpected big costs to the university, located in the state’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley. According to today’s Merced Sun-Star, as soon as Ms. Obama accepted the university’s invitation, cost estimates for the event shot up from $100,000 to $700,000. The top cost is some $300,000 for news-media hookups and a live transmission of the commencement to tens of thousands of expected viewers who can’t find seating at the event, according to the Associated Press.

The university is seeking financial help from the system, and hopes corporations will pony up enough in the form of sponsorships to defray the expenses. But at a time of fiscal straits statewide and a deepening recession, those efforts face a strong headwind.

Still, the first lady doesn’t come calling every day. As one Merced official put it, “All eyes are on Merced right now.” —Andrew Mytelka