Colorado’s community colleges saw an enrollment dip as classes began in August, most likely due to continuing fears over the COVID-19 delta variant. But the declines weren’t as drastic as many college officials feared.
Many students waited to enroll at the last minute, which made gauging enrollment trends difficult to track, Joe Garcia, chancellor for the Colorado Community College System, told the education news site Chalkbeat.
“They waited until the last minute,” Garcia told Chalkbeat. “We worked hard to make them aware of financial aid and other benefits that would make it worth their while to come back.”
The Colorado Community College System — which includes Front Range Community College, or FRCC, — saw enrollment slide half a percent this year compared to last year, Garcia said. And unlike last year, no school across the state experienced more than a single-digit percentage drop in enrollment, according to Chalkbeat.
FRCC’s enrollment is currently down between 2-to-3% from last fall, said FRCC spokeswoman Jessical Peterson via email. The percentage drop varies depending on which week is being compared, Peterson said.
“Also, we still have a few weeks to go before the final number settles out,” she said. “That’s when we will know more precisely where we land.”
FRCC’s campuses, including the one in Longmont, still reach almost 18,000 students with classes conducted both in person and online, Peterson said. “And students really do seem to be excited to be back on campus, even with masks.”
Enrollment at Colorado’s community colleges still remains well below pre-pandemic levels, according to Chalkbeat, leaving school leaders struggling to attract students.
FRCC President Andy Dorsey told Chalkbeat the school offers programs that allow students to work and learn simultaneously. He also touts a recently announced partnership with the Colorado School of Mines that makes it easier for FRCC students to transition to university’s engineering program.
“The opportunities we are providing students are really important right now,” Dorsey told Chalkbeat. “And I think once we get through the pandemic, some students are going to be feeling more grounded about coming back to college. So I am optimistic.”
