August 24, 2009

Colleges on Limited Budgets Brace for Population Growth

South Atlantic Colleges Brace for Population Growth 1

Courtesy of NOVA

Northern Virginia Community College, one of the nation’s largest community colleges, has seen enrollment grow by 11 percent over the past two years as state aid for the college dropped by 10 percent. The 2009 high-school graduating class was the largest in Northern Virginia history.

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close South Atlantic Colleges Brace for Population Growth 1

Courtesy of NOVA

Northern Virginia Community College, one of the nation’s largest community colleges, has seen enrollment grow by 11 percent over the past two years as state aid for the college dropped by 10 percent. The 2009 high-school graduating class was the largest in Northern Virginia history.

By Austin Wright

Thirty-eight students graduated in May from Georgia Gwinnett College, which opened in 2006. State lawmakers expect that, in five years, the institution will have an enrollment of about 10,000, as the state's college-going population skyrockets.

The college-age population across the entire South Atlantic is growing rapidly, and having a new four-year college with lots of room to expand is highly unusual. Most states are struggling to support their often-overcrowded public colleges, let