UNMG's Enrollment Surges

For Release - September 16, 2009

UNM-Gallup’s enrollment, officially noted on September 11, the third Friday of classes, leaped upward 2 percent over last year’s fall figures, while credit hours surged 10 percent over Fall 2008. The latter figure indicates that the 2,873 students registered are taking 27,907 credit hours -- a record at UNMG.

         Community colleges typically experience growth in enrollment in hard economic times as employment opportunities diminish. Lower gas prices may also be helping to fuel the rise in enrollment. But another factor is that parents are reconsidering sending their children off to four-year colleges when they can get their core classes for less tuition while living at home.

         “The pressure is on as far as having enough courses and classrooms available,” said Paul Kraft, director of Student Services, of the college’s efforts to accommodate more students. “The management team has been discussing how to deal with capacity enrollment if we continue to grow. We’re talking about how to meet the needs of our students by increasing online courses and class capacity, as well as adding faculty.”

         As to why the college is experiencing the enrollment surge, Kraft said that although the economy is indeed a factor, with students opting to live at home while going to college, Student Services has been focusing on more intense recruiting.

         “We’re doing a better job of recruiting and getting the word out,” he said.

         Kraft acknowledged that the boost in enrollment will cause some financial strains.

         “We’re getting fewer dollars from the state, and that will continue over the next couple of years,” he said. “We’re being asked to educate more students with less government support. And, although growing enrollment offsets some of the loss of revenue, our tuition is so low it doesn’t cover the costs of educating our students.”

         This year’s head count is the third highest ever, following Fall 2004 with 3,114, followed by Fall 2003 with 2,960. The next highest credit hours ever recorded occurred in 2004, with 25,407. State funding is determined by credit hours rather than head count.