2-year colleges ease financial burden, enrollment up

By Renee Cumm
As the Universities in New York State raise the cost of tuition, students will prefer to attend 2-year colleges to get a cheaper start on their college degree. The enrollment rates in 2-year colleges have been increasing partly due to the tough economic times according to, local neighboring colleges.
“Family financial considerations are important”, president of Plattsburgh State University, Dr. John Ettling said, regarding college applicants. PSU maintains their enrollment on a fixed percentage by admitting less than half of the students who have completed an application according to, Ettling.
He said PSU still encourages community college transfer students and receive most of their transfers from Clinton Community College.
Students who transfer are more prepared and they “Have got the adolescent angst out of their system,” Ettling said.
Students can benefit from attending a 2- year college by saving money, and they can attend college while living at home with their parents, “Because of the national recession a college close to home costs less and students can still work,” Ettling said.
The cost of tuition at North Country Community College is $1,000 less than PSU and any student that lives within a 30 to 50 mile radius could commute from home, which is a common convenience for local students, according to vice president of student services, Ed Trathen.
President Obama signed a stimulus package into law last February. He appointed $787 billion to increase the federal support for job training programs at community colleges. The aide would help people who have been laid off or can’t find work. They can receive funds to attend 2-year colleges and receive work re-training and job placement. In an effort to reduce the rate of unemployment could cause the already increasing rate of enrollment at community colleges to escalate. Obama has planned for 5 million more 2-year graduates by 2020 according to, Inside Higher Ed news.
“There has been a stagnant economy in the North Country and the jobs that are available require an associate’s degree,” Trathen said.
For North Country Community College the enrollment was up about 12 percent this year according to, Trathen.
“Historically they (enrollment percentages) have always gone up during tough economic times,” Traven said.
A large amount of unemployed workers were coming from St. Lawrence County after the closing of the General Motors plant in Messina. He said many of those workers are eligible for the stimulus money according to, Trathen.
NCCC currently receives $2675 dollars for every full-time student, and that budget could be reduced in Gov. David Patterson’s effort to close the current state budget gap according to, Trathen.
Clinton community College has also had a 10 percent increase in their student enrollment. “Community colleges are in a growth mode across the state,” vice president of student services, Stephen St. Onge said. “People have less money and get a better value when they go to a community college”.
Community colleges such as, NCCC and CCC normally encourage student population growth, and they work together with their local One Work Source to support people who are unemployed to receive funds to attend the job re-training programs.

“Community colleges are engines for local economic growth,” St. Onge Said.
Mary Dupree is an employment counselor at One Work Source. She said there are many people in Clinton County that are on unemployment, and the state of NY really encourages those people to receive the work training. The stimulus money is only funding programs for high job demands according to, Dupree.
“There has been a decrease in a lot of manufacturing jobs,” Mary Dupree said. “Many businesses can’t stay a-float and they have to scale back or close down”.
One Work Source regularly receives federal funds for workers but over the past few years they have been receiving less money and the government’s stimulus money has been a “big boost” according to, employment and training counselor, Kelly Smart.
Around 225 people in Clinton County have received the extra funds, and the stimulus money for training has been “exhausted,” Smart said.
When people heard about the money they started pouring in to receive help. “You wouldn’t believe how many companies whose work goes over seas and they are closing because of it,” Smart said.
Although many workers have received funds, it hasn’t currently affected the local community colleges. “I didn’t affect us this year,” Trathen said.
Traven said NCCC has never exceeded their limit of 10,000 students in the past and most community colleges have always been able to handle any capacity that they have been given according to, Trathen.
“Community colleges are considered the last opportunity because of their open admission, and we don’t want to deny students, because there is no other place for them to go,” he said.