Projected enrollment at Henderson Community College has continued to increase over last year and the economy is the main reason, according to President Pat Lake.
The local community college expects about 2,200 students during this fall semester. This is compared to the final enrollment figures during last fall's semester of 1,948 students.
Lake said the projections are based on a count earlier this month and were provided to the state's Council on Postsecondary Education, which likes to form an enrollment projection every September.
However, the local enrollment phase continues until Nov. 1.
"We have seen a steady increase over the last 10 years," Lake said. "But there has been a major shift, I think, from what it was last year at this time to what it is this year because of the economy."
Many times there is a cause and effect between a struggling economy and enrollment figures at colleges and universities.
And locally, that means that class sizes at The Hill are up, both in the regular face-to-face courses and in the college's online courses -- despite budget cuts.
"We haven't seen any new recurring funds for handling our enrollment growth in the system for quite some time," Lake said.
Yet at the same time, more people are enrolling at the college to take classes to prepare them for the future.
"I think that more and more people are realizing the important role that our two-year colleges have with addressing the needs of individuals, our workforce and employers," Lake said.
