Published: September 29, 2009 10:09 pm      

The first step — 09/30/09

Community,technical colleges fuel record enrollment in state

Total student enrollment at Kentucky’s private and state supported colleges and universities reached an all time high this fall, and the number one reason for the increase is unmistakable: The 16 community and technical colleges.

The numbers are another positive in a state that dramatically needs to increase the education level of its adult population in order to compete in the global economy of the 21st century. Not only does Kentucky rank near the bottom among the 50 states in the percentage of adults with college degrees, it also ranks near the top in the percentage of adults without high school degrees or the equivalent. Combined, those two figures are among the biggest obstacles to economic development in the state, and the numbers in both categories are worse in northeastern Kentucky than in the state as a whole.

But at least Kentucky is moving in the right direction when it comes to increasing the number of adults seeking to continue their education beyond high school. That’s important, because the high-tech jobs of today require more than just a high school degree.

According to a report released Monday from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, enrollment this fall at the community and technical colleges is more than 11 percent higher than it was in the fall of 2008 and now totals 100,000. That’s an impressive number when one considers the total enrollment at all private and public universities, colleges and community and technical colleges in Kentucky this fall is 254,560 students. That represents an increase of 5 percent over last fall. Despite continuing increases in tuition and other costs, more Kentuckians than ever are going to college.

“We’ve been seeing pretty consistent growth over the past several years,” Kentucky Education Cabinet Secretary Helen Mountjoy said. “There’s a growing realization that if you want to succeed in the 21st Century, you need some education and some training after you graduate from high school.”

Let us hope the trend continues.

While the sagging economy may be discouraging some Kentuckians from enrolling in a four-year university, it may actually be boosting enrollment at the community and technical colleges, Mountjoy said.

“As people are out of work, they tend to return to school or choose to continue their education so that they’re prepared when the new jobs present themselves,” Mountjoy said. People — particularly adults who have been out of school for awhile — see the community and technical college as an entry point to higher education, she said.

Mountjoy is right. The high percentage of older students at Ashland Community and Technical College is ample evidence that many are seeking the skills needed for a second career.

While Kentucky State University and Western Kentucky University had large percentage increases in enrollment among the four-year state universities, enrollment increases at Morehead State University, Murray State University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville was less than 1 percent. Meanwhile, Eastern Kentucky University and Northern Kentucky University had only slightly higher percentage increases.

Nevertheless, in these tough economic times, even a slight increase in enrollment at the universities that award four-year degrees must be seen as a positive. The key now is for all universities and community and technical colleges to increase their graduation rates. Too many students who enroll in the state’s universities fail to earn a four-year degree and too many students in the community and technical colleges drop out without earning a two-year associate’s degree or a certificate in the program in which they are enrolled.

Getting more people to enroll in a university or community and technical college is just the first step toward improving the education level of our adult population. Having more students successfully complete their higher education is equally important.

The first step toward improving graduation rates begins before they ever enroll in college. Too many young people are graduating from high school poorly prepared for higher education. They must spend their college tuition taking non-credit courses that teach what they should have learned in high school. That needs to change if we are going to produce more college graduates in this state.