Enrollment reached record highs at Southern Union Community College this fall.
Across the three campuses in Wadley, Valley and Opelika, enrollment totaled 5,160 students, the highest in the school's history.
The majority of these students, about 4,000, are enrolled at the Opelika campus.
"Students want to get their educations at the best value possible," said Mary Jean White, dean of instruction, about why she thinks the static tuition prices may be a reason.
There are several reasons for the increased number of students applying to Southern Union, said Gary Branch Jr., dean of student development.
Branch said the smaller class sizes are positive incentives for many students. Another reason might be the guaranteed credit transfer.
However, the main reason may be the economic vice fastened onto many peoples' wallets.
Southern Union has not raised tuition in four or five years, keeping rates low at $90 per credit hour for residents of Alabama, Branch said.
At many of the large state universities in Alabama and surrounding states, tuition is more than $200 per credit hour for residents.
Since it is more difficult today to get a job with just a high school diploma, many displaced workers are returning to school to obtain associate degrees.
Jonathan Lovelace, a freshman in landscaping architecture, said losing his job of seven years was the reason he returned to school.
"It really made me think," Lovelace said. "I want to have something I can rely on in case the economy is ever this bad again."
However, this influx of students has put some strain on Southern Union's ability to accommodate everyone.
The technical and health science programs are filled to capacity, but both Branch and White agree space is not an issue.
The campuses are still able to maintain their 19:1 student to teacher ratio by using adjunct instructors in some of the classrooms.
Adjunct instructors are faculty who are not employed full-time by the school, so they are paid less, which enables Southern Union to keep costs and the student-to-teacher ratio low.
"We hope that with increasing enrollment, increased funds will become available to expand our facilities in order to meet the needs of the community," White said.
In addition to enrollment, another effect of the economy on Southern Union can be seen in the financial aid office.
FAFSA application sub-missions have increased, as has the percentage of FAFSA verifications, White said.
This means more paperwork for those who work in Financial Aid, said Dorothy Cantor, director of financial aid.
"This is a wonderful problem to have," Cantor said.
Also, more student organizations are being added in order to foster a stronger feeling of community among the Southern Union students, Branch said.
Newer organizations include the National Student Nurses Association, Circle K, Phi Beta Lambda, Phi Theta Kappa and the Association of Radiologic Students, among others.
A full range of athletic programs is now available at the Wadley campus, as well as new dorm housing.
Some students said they are chosing Southern Union instead of other institutions because of motivations like convenience of location, smaller class sizes and whether it has their major.
However, many of those students were in agreement that the economy was a major motivating factor in their chosing Southern Union.
"I didn't want my parents to have to pay all that money for Auburn," said Kassi Watts, a freshman in elementary education. "This is a much cheaper choice."
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