RICHMOND – As Virginians seek ways to survive, and even thrive, in the current recession, more and more of them are turning to Virginia’s Community Colleges.  More minority students; more younger, traditional-age students and more full-time students are attending community colleges across the commonwealth, shattering the colleges’ previously established enrollment records. 

 The number of students, throughout Virginia’s 23 community colleges increased by 8,324 students across the commonwealth in fall 2008 to a total of 175,487 – an increase of nearly 5% in students taking credit courses over the fall of 2007 enrollment.

“People are coming to their community college in record numbers because they know that’s where they can afford to access the opportunities that will let them start, and in many cases, restart their career,” said Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges.  “People don’t stop dreaming about their future and their children’s future just because the economy turns lousy.  They need a way to chase those dreams and that’s where our colleges come in.”

To place the community college enrollment growth in perspective:  Over the past two years, Fall 2006 to Fall 2008, the enrollment growth throughout Virginia’s Community Colleges (a total figure of  16,285) is a larger number than the individual enrollment figures of nine of Virginia’s 15 public four-year universities.

Further, the total enrollment number surpasses one year early the goal established in Dateline 2009, the strategic plan adopted by the VCCS five years ago.

“As Virginia communities and employers look for ways to reduce job losses and get people back to work faster, our community colleges stand out as a strategic investment that delivers cost-effective results,” said DuBois.  “The knowledge and skills our colleges teach to people pursuing degrees and certificates give the individual more and better job options and bolster the community, leaving the workforce better-educated and more globally competitive.

“But our colleges cannot do it alone.  We depend on partnerships with policy makers at every level of government and we will continue to work with them to demonstrate the value community colleges have as a tool for enhancing the competitiveness of Virginians and their employers throughout this recession and beyond it,” said Dubois.

VCCS Enrollment Highlights

• Minority Students:  Virginia’s Community Colleges are serving an additional 4,482 minority students than a year ago – an increase of 7.6% as minority enrollment is outpacing the overall growth of VCCS enrollment.  The VCCS minority student enrollment of 63,691 has increased 17% over the past two years, and minority students now represent 36% of all VCCS students.
  
• Full-Time Equivalent Students: FTES have increased by 4,817 – or 5.3% over the past year - an indication that individual students are taking heavier course loads.
  
• 18-21-Year-Old Students:  The 64,697 traditional age students served by the VCCS are up 4,367 from one year ago, an increase of 7.3%.  Students between the ages of 18 and 21 currently make up 37% of all VCCS students.
  
• Fastest Growing Community Colleges by student headcount:  Tidewater Community College (1,899), Northern Virginia Community College (1,397) and Thomas Nelson Community College (1,041) have the highest enrollment growth. Together they account for 44% of the 8,324 new students in Fall 2008. 
  
• Fastest Growing Community Colleges by headcount percentage: In terms of percentage enrollment growth, Thomas Nelson Community College (+12.7%); Germanna Community College (+10.4%); Central Virginia Community College (+9.9%); and Wytheville Community College (+9.5%) topped the list of VCCS colleges.
  
• Over the past two years, Central Virginia Community College and Wytheville Community College have recorded student enrollment of 15%.  At three community colleges, Germanna, John Tyler, and New River, enrollment growth, from Fall 2006 to Fall 2008, exceeded 20%.
  
• The number of high school students taking Dual Enrollment classes, which allows them to earn college credit while in high school, increased 3,468 (14.6%) to a total of 27,289 across the state.

About Virginia’s Community Colleges: Created more than 40 years ago, the VCCS is comprised of 23 community colleges located on 40 campuses across the commonwealth. Together, Virginia’s Community Colleges serve more than a quarter-million credit students each year. For more information, please visit myfuture.vccs.edu.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Jeffrey Kraus
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Relations
(804) 819-4949
jkraus@vccs.edu