BENTON COUNTY — We can't help but be impressed at the startling growth that Northwest Arkansas Community College has experienced in recent years.
NWACC's fall enrollment was reported to be 8,104 this fall - an 11-percent increase over this time a year ago, and a 45-percent increase since 2005.
The community college has set a new enrollment record each fall for the last 19 years. NWACC must be doing something right.
NWACC President Becky Paneitz points out three major reasons for the college's dramatic growth: Many students are displaced workers who are trying to enhance their skills or change careers. More veterans are taking advantage of the new GI Bill that offers educational benefits to those who have served in the military since 2001. And finally, NWACC is offering more online courses,some of which also offer faceto-face instruction.
NWACC clearly has had to work hard to adjust to a rapidly growing demand for its services. If we measure a community college by how well it responds to need in the area, then NWACC seems to be doing a fairly good job.
The college has coped with growth in part by hiking tuition, as colleges and universities tend to do. This year, NWACC trustees raised tuition so that an in-district student taking 15 hours would pay $41.25 more for a semester than he did last year. That's not bad, and NWACC tuition remains awfully cheap compared to what you might find elsewhere.
We're proud to have this institution in our backyard, and we salute the college for the way it contributes to our region's quality of life.
Opinion, Pages 5 on 09/21/2009