Enrollment has climbed at area community colleges, due in part to a struggling economy.

“I am pleased that enrollment is up,” said Sue Collins, president of the Northeast Higher Education District, which oversees operations at five northland campuses. “But the numbers are reflective of economic conditions. When the economy suffers, community colleges tend to attract more students.”

Full-time equivalent enrollment increased at all but one of the five campuses in the district, with Vermilion experiencing a slight decline. FTE is based on a ratio of one student per 15 credits.

“There are more full-time students this year than prior years,” said Tracey Roy, from the state Office of Institutional Research in Grand Rapids. According to Roy, 75 percent of those attending colleges in the district are full time, compared with 67 percent last fall. Typically, the number of full-time students since 2005 has hovered around 65 to 67 percent.

Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids showed the greatest gain. Based on data from Sept. 2, the number of full-time equivalent students is up from 956 in the fall of 2008 to 1,070 in fall of 2009, a difference of 11 percent. Rainy River Community College in International Falls also posted a significant increase, climbing 8.7 percent from 262 full-time equivalents in the fall of 2008 to about 286 this year.

By comparison, Vermilion Community College in Ely fell 2.5 percent from 566 FTEs in 2008 to 541.5. But Vermilion differs significantly from other community colleges because it relies more on students outside of its community than do other colleges.

“About 95 percent of our students come from outside of the community,” said enrollment director Jeff Elliott, who added that students are drawn to the natural resources specialty career training provided by the college.

Retraining at colleges

Many of those attending classes this year are displaced or underemployed workers training for new careers. The number of non-traditional students (over 24 years of age) has risen from 25 percent in 2005 to 34 percent this fall.

The increase is evident at Mesabi Range Community and Technical College, according to Provost Tina Royer.

“We have seen a pretty dramatic increase in non-traditional students, although the numbers dropped some when the mines kicked back into operation,” said Royer.

Colleges have responded to the challenge by adding new courses geared for emerging careers such as in wind and solar energy.

“Our new wind techinican program has about 18 enrolled and we’re seeing some older students in that program,” she said.

Hibbing Community College reports similar interest in its solar energy program, and said other courses focusing on electrical maintenance and nursing are thriving.

“Most of our career programs are full,” said Susan Degnan, director of public information for HCC. “Our law enforcement program is one of the biggest classes that we’ve had in a long time.”

Meanwhile, Royer said the Applied Learning Institute is bringing career training to high schools across the Iron Range. This fall, she said, 43 different courses, ranging from training to become a certified nursing assistant to beginning welding, are being offered.

“It’s a great opportunity to expose students to technical education,” Royer said. “It allows them to learn some fundamental skills and explore some potential career options.”

Other factors

The economy may also play a role in more students’ decision to remain close to home or at home for their first two years of college rather than traveling farther away to a four-year institution.

“We’re a little more affordable and students may also cut down their expenses by living at home,” said Collins. In addition, she said community colleges today offer an expanded array of courses and are able to adapt more swiftly by offering classes tied to changing job market demands.

Credit should also go to the college staff, said Collins, noting that many have stepped up their recruitment campaigns to attract more and new students to their campuses.