SPRING ENROLLMENT AT LCCC REACHES ALL-TIME HIGH

Enrollment for spring semester classes at Lorain County Community College has reached an all-time high, with 10,533 students registered for courses. This is a 4.4 percent increase in enrollment compared to spring semester of 2006.

This continues a trend of enrollment increases at LCCC that has seen enrollment grow just over 50 percent since the 2000 academic year. In spring of 2000 there were 6,904 students enrolled compared to the 10,533 this spring.

The spring enrollment was bolstered by a record number of high school students taking advantage of the Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program. This spring 1,117 high school students enrolled in PSEO courses compared to 975 last spring.

The PSEO program allows students to earn college credits while in high school, all for free. Under this program, students enroll in courses at LCCC and receive dual credit for high school requirements and for college credit.

“More students than ever are finding that LCCC is an important catalyst in the process of developing them into highly-skilled, entrepreneurial talent. These students will be able to provide innovative thinking which will stimulate new businesses and ideas leading to long-term growth in Northeast Ohio,” said LCCC President Roy A. Church.

And attending LCCC continues to be an economical way to reach these educational goals that will make LCCC students valuable players in the future economic growth of the county and region. Last June the LCCC Board of Trustees, in response to Gov. Ted Strickland’s commitment to bolstering funds for higher education, approved a two-year tuition freeze (2007-2008 and 2008-2009 academic years).

This freeze holds the cost per credit hour to $92.30 (including fees) for Lorain County residents. This equates to $1,107.60 for tuition and fees per semester and $2,215.20 annually for Lorain County residents taking classes full-time. This remains the second lowest tuition in the state.

And combined with the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree on the LCCC campus through the LCCC University Partnership, the savings for students can be substantial. For example, a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Akron costs more than $63,000 compared to slightly more than $18,700 for the same degree from Akron through the University Partnership. A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Toledo costs more than $64,000 compared to a little more than $24,900 for the same degree from Toledo through the University Partnership. Approximately 3,000 students take courses through the University Partnership.

“The combined pathway of LCCC and its University Partnership is truly Ohio’s best educational value,” Church said.

January 28, 2008