An unprecedented 22 percent jump in the number of students attending the state’s technical colleges has set a new annual enrollment record for the Technical College System of Georgia.

The system’s 26 colleges enrolled 190,842 students in fiscal year 2010, which ended on June 30. The total smashes the previous record high enrollment set in 2009 by more than 34,000 students.

Moultrie Technical College saw a 15.2 percent increase in full-time equivalent enrollment and in total credit hours during the 2010 fiscal year, as well as a 6.8 percent jump in total enrollment across Colquitt, Tift, Turner and Worth counties and in online studies.

MTC still remains the only technical college in the system to experience 12 consecutive years of fall quarter enrollment growth.  

The college is also among the state’s top three providers of dual enrollment class offerings for high school students.  Fiscal year 2010 saw 372 such students who earned high school and technical college credit simultaneously through Moultrie Tech.

“We are really excited about what Moultrie Tech is contributing to our local economy and workforce.  Given the diverse market of students we are serving now — either due to more and more people finding themselves out of work and facing layoffs, or simply wanting to better themselves — we are working very hard to provide the skills and training for these people to be able to get the knowledge and hands on information they need quickly and move into a career path that will support them and their families,” said MTC’s Director of Student Affairs Lisa Griffin.

“With a one or two-year investment in MTC, they can get jobs that are promising with the employment outlook for Georgia.  We have served more seasoned adult learners, recent high school or GED diploma graduates than ever before,” said Griffin. “This is the greatest time ever in our economy to reinvent or better one’s self through technical education, and our local economy sees this value.”  

Looking toward another enrollment increase during fiscal year 2011, Moultrie Tech is also developing an alternative energy and green technologies curriculum that it plans to have in place in Tifton for the upcoming fall term through the $3.75 million Green Tift grant provided through the U.S. Department of Labor.

“This will open new doors for South Georgia’s employers and workers, and we are glad to be a key part of making this growth happen for our workforce,” Griffin added.

Officials with the TCSG agree that the surge in enrollment has been fueled in part by people who are either out of work or under-employed due to the stagnant economy. Those Georgians are turning to the technical colleges for training and skills enhancement in programs where the job outlook is more promising, like heath care, energy and the environment, information technology and even entrepreneurial trades such as plumbing and electrical work.

“Even as the state grapples with its own budget issues, our technical colleges have accepted a record number of new students in search of the skill sets and knowledge that will better situate them for employment in today’s tough job market,” said TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson.  “This amazing ability of the TCSG to welcome tens of thousands of new students during an economic downturn is a reflection of the high quality and immense dedication of the faculty and staff at each college.

“I commend Moultrie Tech’s commitment to deliver the very best in technical education programs and provide every MTC student with the ability to find success in the Georgia workforce even in these most difficult of times,” said Jackson.

The 26 technical colleges delivered 4.39 million credit hours of instruction in 2010, up from 3.49 million hours in 2009.

The effect of the economy is apparent among the student age groups, where the percent of enrollment increase rose as the ages got older: Under 21, up 11 percent to 46,910 students; 21-25, up 22 percent to 46,377 students; 26-30: up 25 percent to 28,780 students; 31-35, up 26 percent to 20,597 students; 36-40, up 30 percent to 16,916 students; Over 40: up 32 percent to 31,262 students.

There was also a significant jump in the number of TCSG students receiving the federal Pell and Georgia HOPE grants in the past year. Pell grants, which are based on financial need of the student and his or her family, were awarded to 89,019 TCSG students in 2010, a 53 percent increase over the 58,193 students who received the grants in 2009.

The number of TCSG students using the Georgia HOPE grant also grew by 26 percent, from 116,534 in 2009 to 147,046 in 2010.

Tuition at the TCSG colleges is among the lowest in the Southeast, averaging about $2,700 a year.  Almost nine of every ten TCSG students use federal and state grants to reduce a large portion of the out-of-pocket cost of their college education.

According to Jackson, two factors are at work that will determine the level of continued enrollment growth at the TCSG colleges.

“What happens with the national and state economy is most certainly a wild card in our future enrollment. Also, more and more high school graduates and their parents are making the TCSG their first choice for a college education,” said Jackson.  “Long gone are the days of our technical colleges being Georgia’s best-kept secret for quality higher education and a pathway to a better career.”