Economy Drives More Students To Community Colleges

KELLY CALES
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

Published: September 14, 2008

ABINGDON, Va. – Virginia Highlands Community College junior Justin Pennington is among thousands of students trying to save money by attending a community college.

“I was gonna go to Vermont to go to school but it’s $36,000 a year and I just couldn’t pay that,” Pennington said. He adds, “There’s really no point in paying a whole lot more ’cause you get the same education here.”

Pennington is not alone.

Enrollment in community colleges across the country has surged and officials say the faltering economy is the reason behind the increase. Northeast State Technical Community College, Virginia Highlands Community College, Southwest Virginia Community College and Mountain Empire Community College all have experienced a rise in enrollment this fall.

“We don’t have exact numbers at this time but I can say we have seen a significant increase,” said Jennifer Starling, Northeast State’s director of admissions.

School administrators at Virginia Highlands say that when the economy takes a dip and unemployment is high, they usually see an increase in student enrollment.

“Our tuition is such a good bargain that it attracts students,” said VHCC Vice President of Instruction and Student Affairs Debbie Clear. She said the college has seen a 4 percent increase in enrollment this fall.

Clear says the average tuition and fees at a community college are about one-third the cost of a public four-year school. Clear said it’s a yearly price tag of $2,404 compared to $7,083 for a university. Figures like that, coupled with an economic squeeze, push enrollment numbers up.

“I looked at two universities and it was gonna be too much for my family to take on,” said Virginia Highlands sophomore Tea Triplett.

It’s not just a good deal on tuition that’s drawing more students in. People are looking to community colleges as a place to hone skills to keep up with a competitive job market.

“Many people who have been laid off from their positions choose to come back to school to learn new training courses,” said Clear.

Despite more students on campus, local community college officials say they are equipped to accommodate the increase. “We have room for additional students and we offer flexible scheduling so students aren’t driving Monday through Friday,” said Clear.

Kelly Cales is a multimedia intern who can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).