While undergraduate enrollments are down 2.3 percent compared to last fall, the largest losses are at community colleges, where enrollment declined by 7.5 percent
Preliminary national data indicates a significant drop in Community College enrollment this fall when compared to the fall of 2019. Undergraduate enrollments are down 2.5 percent compared to last fall, with the biggest losses being at community colleges, where enrollments declined by 7.5 percent. This is according to preliminary data on fall enrollments from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Terry W. Hartle, senior vice president of government relations for the American Council on Education, reiterated the concerns about community college enrollments. They would have normally been expected to grow during a recession.
Hartle said that:
“Higher education enrollment is countercyclical; when the economy struggles, people go to college to boost their economic prospects. In the fall of 2009, the year after the Great Recession began, enrollment in higher education went up by one million students and enrollment increases at that time were particularly pronounced at the community college level. That’s clearly different than what we are seeing this time.”
Yavapai Community College, according to its preliminary data, has incurred a drop of about 10% in the fall 2020 when compared to fall 2019. However, it is continuing to work on that deficit and hopes to reduce it significantly by offering, for example, over 100 eight-week courses beginning in October.
Source: Article By Elizabeth Redden of September 24, 2020 four in Inside Higher Ed. You may read the entire article by clicking here.