Cost-conscious students turn to community colleges

BY KELLY URBAN

As the economy wanes, community colleges are seeing more cost-conscious students.

Enrollment at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has risen nearly 9 percent in the past year and has climbed about 2 percent at the Somerset campus of Allegany College of Maryland.

“When the economy slows, we are here to retrain the work force,” said Walter Asonevich, president of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. “We see what the economy needs and redesign our curriculum to meet those needs.”

Asonevich said nontraditional students are the norm at community colleges.

“We have a more focused audience because we are closely tied to the community we serve and can see the next thing that’s coming,” he said, adding that enrollment has ncreased 8 percent in the two years he has been president.

“Community colleges do thrive,” Asonevich said. “I expect us to double in size within 10 years.”

At Pennsylvania Highlands, 952 students were registered for the fall semester, up from 827 a year ago.

The college offers 32 associate degree programs, two diploma programs and seven certificate programs. In addition, articulation agreements are in place with Mount Aloysius College, Clarion University and IUP.

“We have the ‘start here, go anywhere’ philosophy,” Asonevich said. “Students are able to seamlessly transfer two-thirds of their credits and go off to Ivy League schools if they choose.”

He believes what attracts students to Penn Highlands is not only the affordability but the high-level of education, experienced faculty and small class sizes that allow for more one-on-one interaction.

“We do polls with students and we always hear if we didn’t exist they wouldn’t have been able to go to college,” Asonevich said.

The college is planning to offer additional online classes, as well as creating a “more after 4 concept” for students who can’t attend classes until after 4 p.m. because of their work schedule.

“We also are looking into offering a weekend model that would include Friday night and Saturdays, all geared toward the adult learner,” he said.

Jim Snider, vice president of Pennsylvania campuses for Allegany College of Maryland, believes community colleges are a great place for people to jump-start their education or retrain for a new profession at a reasonable fee.

“A critical aspect for us is work force development,” he said. “It’s a major component of this institution. We provide updated and specialized training for companies that keep those companies viable.”

Because the college has campuses in Somerset, Bedford and Cumberland, Md., Snider said students can stay at home and save money instead of having to pay for housing at a four-year school.

“They can maintain a part-time job and contribute to the cost of their education,” he said.

The college saw 788 students enrolled for the fall 2007 semester and 805 students for fall 2008 at the Somerset campus, an increase of 2 percent.

By comparison, 633 students were enrolled for the fall 2007 semester and 766 students for fall 2008 at the Bedford campus, an increase of 21 percent.

Like Penn Highlands, Allegany College of Maryland has agreements in place with many state colleges and universities.

“We put a great deal of effort into working with four-year institutions and have forged strong relationships that allow us to continue to provide services to our region,” Snider said.

He noted that when the economy takes a dip, community colleges are affected tremendously.

“When it’s down, people start looking for retraining after losing a job, so they come to a community college, get that training and move on,” Snider said.

He said the bottom line is that community colleges are not only helping people earn a degree, but assisting people in finding jobs.

“That’s the whole concept of a community college and what we are here for,” Snider said.

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