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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, June 25, 2009 Record number enroll at Everett Community College By Eric Stevick, Herald Writer EVERETT -- With the economy still struggling, Everett Community College saw a huge increase in the number of students who signed up for classes this summer. The 3,082 students on campus on the first day of summer classes Monday was 29 percent higher than the same date a year ago. "It's a safe statement to say this is the largest enrollment we have had in a summer, and it's significantly larger," said Christine Kerlin, who was the college's vice president for enrollment management for 13 years before moving to a different post. Edmonds Community College is scheduled to begin its summer quarter July 1 and continues to register students. As of Wednesday, the 4,604 full- and part-time students number 11 percent higher than last summer. Both colleges also are expecting large fall enrollments based on early registrations. Similar summer quarter increases are being reported at community colleges across the state, including Cascadia Community College in Bothell, Clark College in Vancouver, Shoreline Community College and Tacoma Community College. College leaders say several factors are contributing to the trend, including rising unemployment forcing workers into retraining and fewer summer jobs for students. Snohomish County's jobless rate rose to 9.5 percent in May. Angeena Bateman and her husband, Jefferson, are enrolled at EvCC this summer as they learn new job skills. The Everett couple took part-time jobs at the college through a work-study program but are eager to get training to start new careers. Agneena, 32, is working toward an accounting degree to transfer to Central Washington University's Lynnwood campus, and Jefferson is learning welding through the college's advanced manufacturing program. "When the economy hit, he was laid off from his construction job, and I found out I was pregnant," she said. "Everything just went flat." "I would rather go to school year round so I remember it better and can get done," Bateman said. At Edmonds Community College, there are 324 students in the worker retraining program this summer. Last year, there were 103. Another factor to growing summer enrollment is many college students today have a different mindset than students from the past, according to the state Board of Community and Technical Colleges. They're part of "Gen Y" or "Millennials" who don't tend to recognize summer quarter as any different than any other quarter, said Janelle Runyon, a board spokeswoman. In general, summer quarter has been growing in size for over a decade. As more in that generation go to college, more will attend year-round, including summer, Runyon said. Distance learning by computer has helped make this possible, providing more flexibility for students to work college into their busy lives. Access to college classrooms and affordable tuition also are part of the enrollment surge, local officials believe. Some four-year universities are trimming enrollment because of state budget cuts, which means more students are likely to start at community colleges, said Dottie Krzyzanoski, EvCC's interim vice president of student services. Community college tuition and fees are cheaper than four-year universities. Many university students are signed up at community college this summer in courses required for four-year universities such as English, psychology, philosophy and history, said Michele Graves, an EdCC spokeswoman. It's a chance to beat the clock on tuition hikes that take effect in the fall when community colleges tuition jumps 7 percent and University of Washington and Washington State University tuition climbs 14 percent. "You can slide in before that happens," Graves said. Another possible factor to increasing enrollment is a change in rules for federal Pell grants for low-income students who qualify. In the past, students could only use the grant for three quarters a year. Now, the aid can be used all four quarters. EvCC is seeing lots of familiar faces this summer. "As I look at the numbers, it's the returning students, those students who have been with us who continue taking classes during the summer," Krzyzanoski said. Everett resident Monroe Peterson is taking biology and pre-calculus summer quarter classes at EvCC. She has bachelor's degrees in sociology and African American studies but wants to become an occupational therapist. The classes she is taking now are prerequisites for her new major. She's just glad to have a chance to go to school in the summer to work toward her dream. "At this point, I'm 25. I need to keep going to get out of college," she said. "I just treat this like a job." Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, e-mail stevick@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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