Enrollment increase not expected to be as much as 2004
Total enrollment in the Tennessee Board of Regents and the University of Tennessee systems rose 2.1 percent in 2004, up more than 4,000 students.
Brian Noland, associate executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, said final numbers from the state’s nine universities and 13 community colleges won’t be in until October. But he believes enrollment will pass the 200,000 mark for the first time — up from last year’s 199,921 — even though the increase won’t be as much as last year.
So far, enrollment has increased slightly at most state universities, an improvement education officials attribute to lottery scholarships that are allowing students to stay instate.
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has seen a dramatic rise in applications since the scholarships debuted, but its overall numbers aren’t increasing that much because the campus can’t enroll too many students.
“The Knoxville campus either has to control its enrollment or it has to find a lot of money to build new facilities and hire new faculty,” said Robert A. Levy, UT’s vice president of academic affairs.
While state college and university enrollment is increasing or remaining relatively stable, community colleges are actually struggling, with seven showing losses and overall enrollment falling from 75,723 last year to the 75,255 figure reported earlier this month.
“I think the decreases at the community colleges are going to be an interesting story,” said Noland, who blames the drop on a decline in nontraditional students, or those ages 25 and older.
Since 1994, officials said that group, as well as the number of part-time students, has dropped steadily. Both groups tend to be more heavily represented in the community colleges.
Nevertheless, the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association is continuing to see a steady increase in enrollment.
“We tend to go up 1 to 2 percent per year,” said Claude O. Pressnell Jr., president of the 37-school association. “Last year we went up over 4 percent. So our increase was definitely more than we had anticipated, and it appears that this year we should at least be on track with the 3- to 4-percent increase again.”