Enrollment at state public universities, colleges rises 4%

Enrollment at the state's public universities and colleges climbed more than 4 percent this fall as a slumping economy sent thousands of students searching for lower tuition costs, education officials said.

The number of students attending the public system's 28 undergraduate institutions rose by about 7,000 from last fall to an all-time high of 176,314, the state Department of Higher Education said yesterday. The enrollment increase was the highest in at least a decade, the officials said.

Community colleges saw the greatest surge, with total enrollment at the 15 two-year schools rising more than 5 percent. The rise continues a decadelong climb, with enrollment increasing 30 percent over that time.

Bristol Community College's enrollment rose almost 10 percent this fall, while Mount Wachusett Community College's increased by nearly 11 percent. High living expenses, lower home values, and the growing scarcity of private college loans made students unusually price-conscious, educators said.

"Eleven percent is pretty startling," said Daniel M. Asquino, president of Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner. "I think a lot of it is due to the economy. People asked themselves: 'Can I really afford to take out a loan or extend my home equity?' "

The increase is occurring as public colleges brace for sharp cuts in state subsidies and are combing their budgets in anticipation of a 5.6 percent reduction. The Patrick administration is expected to announce the spending cuts today, and some colleges are considering the unusual move of raising student fees midway through the academic year to offset the lost revenue.

"It's ironic because we are busting at the seams with students," John Sbrega, president of Bristol Community College, said, referring to the expected cuts.

Community college presidents said many students chose community college over a four-year school to save on tuition costs for two years before transferring.

"Students are facing a hard fiscal reality and have come to recognize the value and the quality that's available at a community college," Sbrega said. "You get the degree for roughly half the price."

Average yearly tuition and fees at community colleges are about $3,900, compared with $6,400 at state colleges and $9,585 in the University of Massachusetts system, state data said. Enrollment at state colleges and UMass rose 3 percent, with UMass-Lowell seeing a 7 percent increase. Many of the state colleges are at or near capacity, and some have capped enrollment.

Many schools also attributed sharp enrollment rises in online classes to high gas prices, and said a tighter job market has spurred people to return to school to improve their job prospects. At Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, online enrollment has quadrupled in the past four years, and more traditional-age students are showing up, said Gail Carberry, president. She said many want to get through college quickly and start receiving a paycheck and that, mostly, they want to avoid debt.

"Families aren't going to touch a second mortgage until they absolutely have to," she said.

Mary Ellen Ashley, executive vice president at Northern Essex Community College, where enrollment has jumped 7.6 percent, said traditional college-age students are the fastest-growing segment. More parents are steering children who struggled in high school toward a less expensive community college, she said.

"They are telling them, 'Why don't you get solid first' before taking on the expense of a four-year school," she said. "Everything is just so uncertain."

Community colleges traditionally see enrollment surge when the economy slumps. But as states grapple with falling tax collections, colleges often see their budgets drop as well.

"We've seen that every time," said Norma Kent, vice president for communications at American Association of Community Colleges. "It's not a pretty picture."

Peter Schworm can be reached at schworm@globe.com.