By PETER HUSSMANN
Iowa's fragile economy is driving enrollment at the state's 15 community colleges with 2009 enrollment figures topping 100,000 for the first time in their 43-year history.
The Iowa Department of Education released its annual report today on community colleges that shows enrollment increasing to 100,736 full- and part-time students, an increase of 14.3 percent from last fall's enrollment of 88,104 students.
"Community colleges usually see more students during economic downturns, but this time students turned to community colleges in much greater numbers than they did in the past," said Judy Jeffries, director of the Iowa Department of Education. "Unemployed workers are fueling unprecedented growth and waiting lists for many high demand community college programs."
Jeffries said enrollment increased across-the-board at the colleges, but was particularly strong for those most affected by the recession. Enrollment disproportionately increased for males and working-aged students between 25 and 64 years old.
Enrollment also increased for traditional students and those wanting to transfer to four-year colleges. Transfer-oriented programs increased 25.8 percent this fall to 64,121 students.
Enrollment and fall credit hours at Des Moines Area Community College, which has a branch in Newton, were both up about 20 percent over last fall, the report shows. DMACC enrolled 8,947 full-time students and 13,377 part-time students this fall for a total of 22,324, a 19.4 percent increase from last year.
Fall credit hours at DMACC were up 20.2 percent to 194,179.
The report shows that the number of high school students taking advantage of opportunities to enroll in community college coursework also increased significantly this fall. The number of jointly enrolled students increased 13.2 percent to 26,111 students.
The full report can be found at the Iowa Department of Education's Web site by linking here.
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