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Economy Sending More Students to Community College: Officials Cite Added Costs of 4-Year Schools, Focus on Job Skills for Enrollment Increase

CHARLESTON, W.Va.—West Virginia’s community and technical colleges are benefiting from enrollment bumps as students seek shelter from a shaky economy.

“Typically when the economy dips, community college enrollment increases,” said Jim Skidmore, chancellor of the West Virginia Community and Technical College System.

“With the downturn in the economy, tuition rates are lower and kids are staying closer to home with plans to move to four-year institutions later.”

West Virginia State University Community and Technical College’s enrollment is up 28 percent with 2,227 students this fall, 490 more than last year.

Marshall Community and Technical College in Huntington is enjoying a 22.5 percent boost, with 2,999 students enrolled for the fall semester.

West Virginia Northern Community College in Wheeling went from 2,925 last fall to 3,150 this semester, a 7 percent increase.

Enrollment at Bridgemont Community and Technical College in Montgomery jumped about 31 percent, from 702 students to 921 this fall.

New River Community and Technical College, which has six campus locations in the eastern part of the state, is reporting a 17 percent increase in enrollment, with 2,785 students enrolled this semester. The school had slightly less than 2,400 students last fall.

Pierpont Community and Technical College made a 3 percent gain with 2,730 students enrolled, 84 more than last year at this time.

According to the Pew report, enrollment in two-year colleges jumped 0.9 percent between 2007 and 2008. College enrollment as a whole raised 0.8 percent.

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