Enrollment soars at 2-year schools

Degree seekers try a different educational path in a difficult economy

SMITHFIELD -- Community college rolls swell as the economy withers -- a cycle that brings to mind displaced factory workers going from textiles to high-tech in a computer classroom. This year, state community colleges are reporting unusually large growth.

But a newer group also is driving the increase: high-school graduates hoping to earn a four-year degree for less money.

Wake Technical Community College welcomed 13 percent more degree-seeking students than last fall. Johnston Community College saw a 7 percent jump.

Farther east, Pitt Community College is squeezing classes into meeting rooms after an increase of 10 percent, its highest on record.

The growth includes career-changers seeking two-year degrees in programs such as nursing and biotechnology, which colleges offer specifically for employers. High gas prices and the shrinking economy have also made community colleges attractive for students who plan to earn four-year degrees.

Transfer students see other benefits. They breeze past the SAT, which is not required for transfer students, as well as the stress of college applications. "It just seemed to make more sense," said Stephanie Lopresto, a freshman at Johnston Community College.

The sour economy is speeding up a trend toward community college as a stepping stone to an advanced degree, said JCC President Don Reichard.

"It used to be community college was a last resort for students who didn't get into a university," Reichard said. "These days, community college is the first choice for many students."

Lopresto made the honor roll in high school and said she was accepted to a private four-year college. But she doesn't expect to pay a dime to earn an associate's degree in medical sonography, thanks to grants and scholarships. It's a deal she doubts she would have seen at a four-year school, even if she had waded through the sea of financial aid paperwork.

After two years, she expects to have a choice: work at a decent-paying job, or go on to earn a university degree -- maybe even more than one, said Lopresto, who's interested in pediatrics.

In the meantime, she's living with her parents in Clayton, and enjoying an easy transition from high school to college life.

"This is more of a comfortable place for me," said Lopresto, 18. "If I went to a four-year college, I think I might feel lost."

Unemployment link

College leaders cite a rule of thumb: for every 1 percent the unemployment rate increases, enrollment goes up 3 or 4 percent.

Community colleges nationwide saw enrollments increase by as much as 20 percent this summer and fall, said Norma Kent, spokeswoman for the American Association of Community Colleges. Unemployment hit 6.6 percent in North Carolina last month, up from 4.7 percent a year before, according to the N.C. Employment Security Commission.

Student numbers haven't been tallied at the state level, but officials hear reports of swelling rolls across the state. "We're a very good barometer of the economy," said Audrey Bailey, a spokeswoman for the state system.

At Pitt Community College, enrollment management director Joanne Ceres said a large part of this year's increase was among students straight from high school. Full-time enrollment was up 13 percent.

The college takes partial credit, she said, thanks to a marketing blitz. One session with parents was dubbed, "How to earn a bachelor's degree for 36 percent less."

"As people become more savvy, particularly in hard economic times, people realize just what a value community college can be," Ceres said.

At Wake Tech, nearly 300 cars a day overflow from parking lots onto grass fields. The college also added an extra free bus route to campus from downtown.