Fearful Future: College Enrollment Still Declining

Jessica Shawcroft
The Paw Print

First off, is anyone surprised by this? College costs a lot of money, loans are becoming scarce and financial aid is hard to qualify for! Once you do get into college and pay for the courses, books are added on, some classes requiring two or three books each!
You can find great jobs without having an education, yes it’s hard, but it’s do-able. Many students graduate and pay on their college loans for years after, some feeling like they’ll never pay it off.
In the past students have had to compete for schools, now more and more schools are finding themselves competing for students. The enrollment numbers for 2012-2013 dropped two percent from the previous year; this is the first decrease since the 1990s! The numbers are declining and wreaking havoc at lower and middle tier institutions.
Why is college enrollment dropping you may ask?
The recent recession, Americans sought refuge from a sluggish job market in higher education, but lately that trend has reversed.
Ivy League and top tier institutions are as popular and competitive as ever, but thousands of other colleges fear about the future. The National Association for College Admission Counseling said “there are many institutions that are on the margin, economically, and are very concerned about keeping their doors open if they can’t hit their enrollment numbers, eventually less competitive universities will be forced to close their doors or merge with other less competitive colleges in order to survive, the remaining universities are those that will be offering a better education and product.”
Many people are returning to college at older ages in search of a higher paying career or just to finish programs they may have started when they were younger. It seems a gap occurs in the late twenties to early thirties as people begin their families. Once they pass that stage, some return to college which helps boost the enrollment rate. Enrollment from 2000-2010 increased 37% because 18 – 24 year olds increased from 27.3 million to approximately 30.7 million. The degree programs offered at middle tier colleges have ballooned to meet this demand but so have tuition prices.
Colleges have in effect cashed in on the economic downturn, the cost of college is really what’s causing this, and people aren’t going to college just to go. They have more reasons about going back and are required to take out loans to do so.  Anya Kamenetz, author of “Generation Debt,” says she thinks colleges and some states need to focus more on college completion, making sure students get their money’s worth by making sure they finish; it’s an important area to focus on as we go forward.
I think they should take a sample of students who attend college. They should ask the questions like, why are you attending?
What would keep you attending? What can we do to make it easier on you? Etc. Some sort of survey to study and review their students and how to retain them; just for my two cents.

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