Florence-Darlington Technical College has recorded the highest enrollment in its history with more than 4,450 students attending classes during the fall semester.
This year’s fall enrollment surpasses the college’s previous high enrollment total of 4,200 during the 2004 fall semester. The number of students registered is up about 10 percent compared with the college’s fall enrollment this time last year, according to a press release issued by the college.
Florence-Darlington Tech President Dr. Charles Gould said he was expecting some type of an increase, but not the number the college has seen.
“We ended up with an enrollment increase that we were not quite anticipating,” Gould said.
Gould said the increase in enrollment could be attributed to a number of things: the economy, new job opportunities in the area that require highly-skilled workers and the Education and Economic Development Act.
The increase in student enrollment can be seen in several areas of the college.
Dr. Shelley Fortin, vice president of enrollment management and student service, said the new student enrollment increased by more than 6 percent and was at 1,094 as of Sept. 10.
It was about 1,010 students that time last year, she said.
Readmitted students — those who attended the college between one to two years and then stopped — have shown a significant increase, Fortin said. The number of readmitted students increased 56 percent from last year.
Fortin also said there is an increase in the number of transfer students and that could be contributed to the college’s Bridge Program, which helps technical college students transfer to four-year institutions. Florence-Darlington Tech has agreements with Francis Marion University, the University of South Carolina, Northeastern Technical College and Coastal Carolina.
Continuing student enrollment is up by more than four percent, according to the release. The college’s Evening College enrollment is up by about 20 percent.
All three of the college’s satellite campuses in Hartsville, Mullins and Lake City have seen enrollment increases.
Fortin said the college has increased its efforts to get high school students enrolled in dual credit courses and, as a result, has seen dual enrollment increase by 42 percent.
“We did get much more structured in our outreach efforts in the high schools,” Fortin said. “I think we’ve done a better job in the high schools ... making ourselves a more viable option because we do offer a path to a great career, as well as an affordable path to transfer.”
The college still is registering students for the fall semester, Fortin said. For details, call the college’s admissions’ office at (843) 661-8324.
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