Black River Technical College (BRTC) experienced its largest increase in fall semester enrollment in over 30 years, with preliminary numbers showing a 29% increase in the number of students enrolled compared to last fall.
“BRTC’s tremendous enrollment growth reflects the hard work of our faculty and staff, strong partnerships with area high schools, and the opportunities created by the ACCESS Act,” said BRTC Vice President of Student Affairs Jason Smith. “Passed by the Arkansas General Assembly during the most recent legislative session, ACCESS has created new opportunities for Arkansas high school students to earn college credit, with a strong emphasis on career-focused education and preparing students for what comes after graduation. I really believe our faculty and staff deserve tremendous credit. They have worked incredibly hard to build strong relationships with our high school partners and turn the opportunities created by ACCESS into meaningful pathways for students across our region.”
While this increase is exciting, BRTC officials note that enrollment based upon high school enrollment is highly susceptible to change. High schools are able to choose which college or university provides concurrent, accelerated, and/or career and technical education to their students. These decisions are often dictated by the cost to the school district, available offerings from the institution of higher education, service, personnel changes, and other factors.
“Colleges have to be careful when basing our budgets upon high school enrollment,” said Dr. Martin Eggensperger, BRTC president. “Although high school enrollment is becoming a greater factor in undergraduate college enrollment growth and/or decline, high school student tuition is most commonly paid at a significantly lower rate than traditional tuition.”
Nationally, college enrollment has been declining since its peak in 2010. Contributing to the decline are a shrinking college-age population, concern about tuition increases, and strong job markets. The COVID-19 pandemic also reduced college-going rates. Many Arkansas colleges and universities including BRTC have experienced a similar decline, and colleges are working with the state and high schools to turn enrollment around.
For more information about BRTC visit the BRTC website.
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