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Today’s tight job market brings the out-of-work and underemployed back to school to receive the education and training that counts in today’s tight job market. DeKalb Technical College’s winter quarter enrollment is 4,069 which is a 10.5 per cent increase over winter 2008. Online courses with a total enrollment of 1,301 with an attrition rate of only eight per cent.
"Now more than ever, the value of technical education and its critical importance as a choice for higher education is recognized by our students and those from businesses and industries who employ our graduates," says Dr. Robin Hoffman, President of DeKalb Technical College.
With only a few conditions, Georgia residents can attend technical college on the HOPE Grant and ostensibly graduate debt free. Recipients receive an award covering their tuition, HOPE-approved fees, and a book allowance of up to $100 per quarter or $150 per semester. For more information, go to www.gacollege411.org.
The Technical College System of Georgia’s 33 colleges enrolled 88,294 students, which is a 9.4 percent system increase over the same time last year.
Among age groups, there was a 7 percent increase in TCSG students under the age of 21. The largest enrollment growth, a 12 percent increase, was in the number of students between the ages of 21 and 35. There was an 8 percent statewide increase in those ages 36 and above.
A significant factor in the enrollment jump was the influx of students who enrolled in a technical college program to obtain new skills after their jobs or work prospects were hit hard by the economic slowdown.
TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson noted that the enrollment increase was not totally unexpected since Georgia’s technical colleges offer job seekers the opportunity to retrain and learn new skills in a relatively short time. TCSG students, he added, get high-quality education at a low cost, which is especially important in today’s economy.
“Today’s students want college programs that can fast track them into the workforce, and attending a TCSG college means that they can reach their goal in two years or less,” said Jackson. “Students like the small classes, hands-on training and individualized instructor attention that our colleges offer. Best of all, the affordable TCSG tuition and access to grant money means our students are not burdened by having to repay a substantial college loan.”
The average annual TCSG tuition is $1,728, which is among the lowest in the southeast. The actual out-of-pocket expense for a TCSG student is usually much less, since Georgia’s HOPE grant and the federal Pell grant will pay for most of a technical college education.
Today, Georgia’s technical colleges offer more than 600 programs that lead to certificates of credit, diplomas and associate degrees. The TCSG’s largest program enrollment is in healthcare, with almost one-third of all students preparing for careers in the medical, dental and related fields.
