Illinois Community Colleges See Record Numbers
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Del.icio.usDuring tough economic times, many people choose to go back to school rather than face a terrible job market. Our country has seen a dramatic increase of student going to college, or going back to school. The State of Illinois is seeing a great increase in the number of students attending their community colleges.
The Illinois Community College Board is seeing a record-breaking number of students.
The actual headcount is 380,000, up 6.4 percent from the 2008-09 school year, which is an all-time high, but includes folks who are taking such classes as golf. Colleges like to look at full-time equivalency, and that statewide number for fall enrollment hit 223,353, up 9.5 percent from last year. That enrollment number reflects the number of students if all students were taking a full class load.
Specific colleges say it’s clear that the reason for the increase in students, and in the number of hours they’re taking is the economy. Southwestern Illinois College President Georga Costello says she has seen a jump in the number of traditional students who have found a job, but still want to go to college, and so choose a community college so they can do both and save money. SWIC, with campuses in Belleville, East St. Louis, Granite City, and Red Bud, reports a 6 percent increase in credit hours. Costello compares college costs at about $5,000-5,200 for two years at a community college, to $13,000-14,000 per year for four years at a university.
Other examples of enrollment hikes are at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, which is seeing a 7.5 percent increase in full-time equivalent credit enrollment, and Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, which is thrilled with a 16 percent increase in the number of credit hours taken.
An increased number of educated students can be a great thing for the state. Having more qualified candidates in the job market can help insure that jobs will stay in the state, or new jobs come to the state.
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Editor: Melissa Steele is a freelance writer and focuses her research on funding for higher education. She is a graduate of UNLV and endeavors to keep her readers up to date with the most relevant education information.