Alabama community colleges see surge in enrollment, bucking national trend

Alabama community colleges are seeing the highest enrollment numbers in a decade.

According to the Alabama Community College System, more than 170,000 Alabamians enrolled in academic courses, adult education or workforce training in the last academic year.

Enrollment numbers at local community colleges haven’t been that high since 2013, according to the system.

“This enrollment achievement reflects the growing recognition of the critical role that community colleges play in providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality education to students from all walks of life,” said Jimmy Baker, Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, in a news release.

The trend is pretty different from the rest of the country; nationally, many community colleges have had a string of “crisis” years, according to the Community College Research Center. Two-year public college enrollment has declined since 2010, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Neil Scott, vice chancellor of student success, told trustees recently that the system received 100,285 applications for the Fall 2024 semester, according to The Alabama Reflector.

Alabama officials attribute their increases to scholarships, flexible learning options and support services.

Many students are full-time and working toward a two-year and, eventually, four-year degree. Others are part-time students or are working toward a single credential.

About half of the state’s community college students are eligible for Pell awards and financial aid.

In recent years, several Alabama colleges have made substantial efforts to coach students and get more across the finish line to graduation.

And they now feature a lot of new programs: Hospitality courses, plumbing maintenance, diesel mechanic programs, meat cutter training and more.