A recent study by the American Council on Education says that from 2008 to 2013 there was a 10% dip in enrollment for low income students nationally.
But that trend hasn’t seemed to affect local colleges.
Knox College Vice President for Communications Megan Scott tells WGIL Knox doesn’t have a specific strategy to maintain levels of low income students other than Knox’s overall goal of making the institution available to all qualified applicants.
“We’re working with high school counselors and reaching out to students across the country,” Scott says. “We’re making sure that we are trying to reach as many students from all different backgrounds as possible.”
Carl Sandburg College has actually seen a steady increase in grant aid recipients since 2011.
Sandburg Vice President for Student Services, Steve Norton says they’ve done that by communicating the college’s financial benefit.
“Just telling them about how much further you can make your educational dollar go–I think that has helped us in increasing the amount of students who qualify for the grant aid to actually attend Carl Sandburg,” Norton says.
Norton notes that in a down economy general community college enrollment increases.
