Worcester Business Journal

30 Worcester Business Journal | November 9, 2020 | wbjournal.com F A C T B O O K C O L L E G E E N R O L L M E N T C olleges in New England were already on the lookout for an expected drop in high school-age graduates locally, and struggling in some cases to balance high costs with keeping education affordable for students. en the coronavirus pandemic hit. Enrollment at public colleges in Central Massachusetts has dropped substantially this fall, including by more than 10% at Framingham State University and Mount Wachusett Community College, a trend echoed statewide as higher education has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic. At Mount Wachusett in Gardner, enrollment this fall is down an estimated nearly 15% from the prior year, according to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. At Framingham State, the drop was 10%. At Worcester State University, it was 7%. Statewide, from community colleges to the University of Massachusetts, enrollment this fall dropped by 7.1%. "ere have been declines all over the map, and for larger and smaller institutions," Jonathan Keller, the state's senior associate commissioner for research and planning, said at a Board of Higher Education meeting in October. A concern among state education officials, Keller said, is the enrollment drops could be more than a short-term blip attributable to the pandemic. Education industry average annual salary Worcester County $55,849 $57,985 $54,374 $53,682 $54,125 $55,130 $53,816 $53,581 $57,163 $56,915 $57,998 $58,215 $60,006 U.S. $45,163 $47,438 $48,494 $49,068 $50,271 $51,811 $53,285 $55,029 $56,954 $58,159 $59,921 $61,950 $63,964 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Enrollment, budget crises e pandemic has le the higher education industry, already hurting amid a decline in high school graduates, struggling to find solid footing BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor ere is a fear, he said, students who aren't enrolling in college this fall may not in the future, either. Pandemic-related factors most oen cited by students have included personal finances for students, frustration with a lack of campus life, dissatisfaction with distance learning, and increases in child care and parenting responsibilities, Keller said. Public colleges in Central Massachusetts went at least partially online this fall because of the pandemic. State university campuses in Framingham, Fitchburg and Worcester held classes in a hybrid in-person and online format, with decreased capacity in dorms and mandated testing on campus. Mount Wachusett and Worcester's Quinsigamond Community College, which don't have dorms, have held few courses on campus. Adjusting to unpredictable times During the Great Recession, community college enrollment generally skyrocketed – but that hasn't happened this time, at least not yet. "I'm not surprised by anything anymore this year," said James Vander Hooven, the Mount Wachusett president. Vander Hooven understands why so many students have chosen not to enroll. Many Mount Wachusett students also balance work and family obligations, and school rightfully comes behind those when people prioritize their needs, he said. "I have confidence that as we get through this crisis, we can be that resource for them again," Vander Hooven said. He knows community colleges will be counted on once the economy's back to normal. "e state, for its economic survival and revival, must rely on the resources and community colleges provide for Worcester State University's enrollment this fall has fallen by 7%, as part of a broader national enrollment drop because of the coronavirus pandemic. Its enroll- ment is now at the lowest point in 25 years. President Barry Maloney poses with students and senior staff in this 2018 photo. Fall semester enrollment drops Public colleges in Central Massachusetts, like their counterparts across the state and nationally, have seen enrollment drop this fall, with only very limited exceptions, including Quinsigamond Community College's new-student enrollment. In the case of the area's three state university campuses, that's put enrollment this fall below that of a quarter-century ago. Total First-year First-year 25-year 25-year enrollment Change student student enrollment percentage College change percentage change percentage change change Fitchburg State University -209 -5.2% -4 -0.6% -245 -6.0% Framingham State University -397 -10.3% -162 -20.9% -1,024 -22.8% Mount Wachusett Community College -533 -14.5% -175 -26.4% 268 9.3% Quinsigamond Community College -344 -4.7% 59 4.9% 2,273 48.6% Worcester State University -374 -7.0% -66 -7.4% -36 -0.7% Source: Massachusetts Board of Higher Education PHOTO/EDD COTE

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