By Cassie Roy | Assistant Editor
Photo by Brianna Stevens
Colleges and universities are struggling to stay open as we face a nationwide decrease in college enrollment.
Small private schools have been affected greatly, the majority of them having to shut down due to a significant decrease in the student population, according to Dean of Students, Jason Zelesky.
The U.S. is currently in the middle of a decrease in young adults attending college. The increase is projected to happen between the years 2025 and 2030. Four year colleges that grew too rapidly over the past twenty or so years to accommodate the constant influx of students attending college every year.
By constantly adding new housing accommodations, those four year colleges are now stuck with houses they cannot fill but are still responsible for the heating and upkeep, which takes a toll on the college’s budget. MWCC has it slightly easier as it doesn’t have any housing. MWCC also markets towards students of all ages. The majority of four year colleges only market towards 18-22 year olds. The diversity and affordability of MWCC has been a huge help during this difficult time. “It’s like a student recession,” said Zelesky.
There are a variety of reasons as to why college enrollment is on the decline. Some students, fresh out of high school, may be waiting longer to attend college, families may be in too much debt to afford sending their children to college, and the harsh economy all factor into the low enrollment rate. Perhaps the biggest contributor, however, is looking back over eighteen years and seeing the low birth rates. Those babies are now college age and there aren’t enough of them compared to the student population over the past twenty years.
Another major contributing factor that led to a decrease in birth rates is the decision made by millennials to wait longer before starting families. Millennials are much more career driven and want to enjoy life longer before settling down to start their family.
According to Scott Farris, Director and Strategic Enrollment Management in the Admissions Office, the decrease in unemployment rates has also taken a toll on the student population. This is due to the fact that nontraditional students make up a good chunk of the student population.
The admissions office is counteracting these low numbers by “meeting students where they are,” and “accommodating students as best we can,” in order to make MWCC a more appealing option to potential students of all ages and backgrounds, Farris noted.
Although the decline in population has affected certain aspects of our college such as budget, the staff remains hopeful that we will make it through these next few years with ease thanks to the schools accommodations to such a diverse group of students.
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