Public Relations

NWACC Fall 2007 enrollment tops 6,500

BENTONVILLE (Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007) – NorthWest Arkansas Community College reported today a record headcount of 6,573 students, or a 12.7 percent increase over the 5,831 students NWACC enrolled a year ago.

The headcount is taken on the 11th class day, which was Tuesday, Sept. 4, and is reported to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

The headcount represents the 17th consecutive record fall semester enrollment at the College that offered its first classes in August 1990 to just more than 1,200 students.

NWACC attributed the enrollment growth to a 5.5 percent increase in the number of sections offered, up from 903 in 2006 to 953 this fall.

Students are enrolled in 55,808 total semester credit hours, a 15.5 percent increase over the 48,329 total from one year ago.

NWACC was able to increase the number of sections as a result of a 21 percent increase in state funding, expanded space for its mathematics department in the new Student Center, and transitioning from a two-day-a-week to a three-day-a-week schedule effective spring 2007.

As reasons for enrolling, students cite convenience of course days and times, affordability of tuition and fees, access to campus and centers, increased delivery methods and an expanding curriculum.

NWACC holds classes mornings, afternoons and evenings six days a week.

In addition to the main campus in Bentonville, NWACC provides classes in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bella Vista.

The Washington County Center is operating for a second consecutive year at capacity, serving 647 individual students this fall.

The number of online, web-based courses increased too, from 81 sections last fall to 108 this fall.

Tuition ranges from $58 per credit hour in-district to $90 out-of-district. Neither tuition nor fees increased this fiscal year.

NWACC’s recent fall enrollment numbers are shown below.

Year       Headcount   Increase

2003      4,997                         ---

2004      5,355                  7.16%

2005      5,565                  3.92%

2006      5831                   4.78%

2007      6,573                12.73%

NWACC will celebrate its record enrollment 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10, at the Student Center prior to the Board of Trustees’ monthly meeting.

Regional Technology Center

NWACC has 89 high school students taking concurrent high school/college classes at its Regional Technology Center, which reported in August a headcount of 314 high school students enrolled in occupational programs.

Step Ahead

The College has 558 high school students taking college classes through the NWACC Step Ahead program at 12 high schools in Benton and Washington counties. Those students qualified to take college courses on the basis of their ACT test scores and they are earning dual high school/college credit. NWACC increased the number of sections taught at high schools from 34 to 40 to accommodate requested classes this fall.

Adult Education

NWACC also announced today the number of students who took classes at its Adult Education Center for the fiscal year ending June 30.

Over the 2006-07 year, NWACC Adult Education served 3,694 adults.

Of these, 2,228 were of Hispanic origin, 1,222 White, 114 Asian, 81 American Indian, 40 African American and 9 Pacific Islanders.

There were 1,965 female students, 1,729 male students.

Of the nearly 3,700 students, 1,946 took classes in English-as-a -Second Language (ESL), 1,248 took Adult Basic Education courses and 500 took the GED battery.

“We are on track to equal those numbers this year,” said NWACC Adult Education Director Ben Aldama.

Corporate Learning

NWACC’s Corporate Learning Division has served 959 individuals through the first two months of the current fiscal year that started July 1.

Corporate Learning offers training and instruction in information technology, skilled trades and retail programming. It includes the Institute for Corporate and Public Safety, and it also offers health and languages training, together with online non-credit and non-transferable courses. Personal enrichment classes are offered through the College at the Crossings in Bella Vista

For questions/comments on this content, please contact Jim Hall jhall@nwacc.edu (479) 619-4182

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