Williamsburg Tech spring enrollment sets record, driven by economy

KINGSTREE — Williamsburg Technical College’s spring registration numbers reached a record-breaking 796 following late registration, representing a 75-percent increase over last spring semester.

The full-time enrollment count topped 500 — another first in the history of the college in Kingstree, according to a press release from the college.

“College faculty and staff have worked hard to recruit and enroll students,” interim president Dr. Cheryl Cox said in the release. “We have classrooms overflowing and students still wanting to enroll in specific programs, which are already at capacity.”

Williamsburg Tech previously welcomed the largest enrollment in its 40-year history last semester. The college had about 750 students enrolled for the fall semester, with the full-time student count 25 percent over fall 2008.

The increased technical college enrollment trend is mirrored at Northeastern Technical College in Cheraw, where enrollment for the spring semester has increased by about 12 percent compared with the previous spring semester. While it may not be a record for the college, the increase is substantial, said Atticus Simpson, the college’s director of institutional advancement. The college also expects to gain more students during its minimester semester.

Three factors contribute to Northeastern Tech’s enrollment boost, but perhaps the biggest is the economy. Simpson said the college is seeing more job seekers enroll “to recondition, or relearn new job skills, to enhance their marketability.”

“It’s really all about jobs. More people are returning to their local technical colleges to learn a new skill or trade so they can prepare themselves for when the job market turns,” Northeastern Tech President Dr. Ron Bartley said. “We hope the citizens of the Pee Dee and South Carolina will continue to seek the types of learning and training opportunities technical colleges offer because that will also help us, as a region and state, attract the type of industries that we need for our region to regain economic viability.”

Florence-Darlington Tech President Dr. Charles Gould echoed those sentiments earlier this month. Florence-Darlington Tech set an all-time enrollment record of 5,331 students when spring semester classes began Jan. 11. The number is a 26-percent increase over last spring’s enrollment and is more than last fall’s enrollment, which is normally higher than spring.

The colleges’ spring enrollment increase follows the trend at most of the state’s 15 other technical colleges.

Other factors are at work in their enrollment figures. Northeastern Tech has increased its online course offerings significantly during the past two years, from four during the fall 2008 semester to more than 30 during the spring 2010 semester, Simpson said.

“We’ve seen an increase in the number of students who are taking our online classes,” he said. “We also increased access for high school students taking Dual Enrollment/Credit classes. Basically, we have more high schools in our service area (Chesterfield, Marlboro and Dillon counties) with students who are enrolled with us.”

Many local high school students also are taking advantage of Florence-Darlington Tech’s dual enrollment program, which allows them to earn college credits while they are still in high school. More than 200 students from 21 area high schools will participate in classes taught at the high schools by the college’s faculty members.

Williamsburg Tech’s record enrollment comes on the heels of the college’s request to Williamsburg County Council for increased millage to ensure that the college remains a strong part of the county’s economic fiber, according to the release. Receiving 3 mills under the umbrella of the Williamsburg County School District for more than 35 years and most recently getting 3 additional mills by the county after moving from under the school district’s millage disbursement, Williamsburg Tech’s physical facilities were lacking under previous enrollment figures, let alone under this increase.

Members of Williamsburg Technical College’s Area Commission recently voted to recommend an increase in tuition beginning in summer 2010, following recommendations of the state’s technical college board. College officials have requested a 6-mill increase to raise county support of the college some $500,000 as a precursor to other local, state and federal initiatives to provide financial stability. Council is expected to announce its intentions for commitment of additional millage at its February meeting.

On the Web:

Williamsburg Technical College, www.wiltech.edu

Northeastern Technical College, www.netc.edu

Florence-Darlington Technical College, www.fdtc.edu