NMCC experiences gain in first-year enrollment

    PRESQUE ISLE – One out of every eight 2007 Aroostook County high school graduates is a member of the entering class at Northern Maine Community College, according to preliminary enrollment figures released by the institution.     The numbers for this year’s freshman class at NMCC show that of the students entering the College directly from high school, 111 come from high schools in the county. Maine Department of Education figures indicate that Aroostook’s 16 secondary schools enrolled a total of 876 seniors last year.
    The 111 most recent county grads are among the 520 first-year students enrolling at Aroostook’s community college this fall. The overall new student numbers for the academic year, which began with the start of classes Aug. 27, represent a 5.5 percent increase over last year’s entering class of 494 students.
    “As an institution, we are committed to educating and training a workforce to meet the needs of employers in our region and state, and to serving students who are beginning their journey in higher education,” said NMCC President Timothy Crowley. “Many of the students attending our College from the county directly out of high school will be the future employees of companies throughout our area. They will start and operate businesses of their own, and become leaders in this community.”
    Recent graduate surveys conducted by the College support that assessment. The numbers indicate an average of 65 percent of NMCC alumni find employment or continue their education in Aroostook County. The number of NMCC graduates who remain in Maine is an even more impressive 95 percent.
    Although the College has seen an increase in the number of students in the incoming class, which should bode well for numbers entering the Aroostook workforce in the coming years, overall enrollment at the college is expected to see a small decrease of 2 percent this fall, due to a smaller number of returning students in the second year. College officials cite the decline in second-year students, in part, to the existing demand for skilled workers in the region.
    “We have communicated with the students who are not returning for a second consecutive year to find that many are citing full-time employment in their chosen field as the reason for not immediately continuing their education,” said William Egeler, NMCC dean of students. “The demand for skilled workers, particularly in the trade and related occupations, is high in the county and throughout the state.”
    Final fall enrollment figures for NMCC and the other campuses of the Maine Community College System will be tallied and released Oct. 15. The preliminary headcount for the Presque Isle College reflects a total of 884 students, compared to 901 last fall.
    Although the College enrolls students from 15 of Maine’s 16 counties, 736 of the 884 students (83 percent) enrolled at NMCC this fall are residents of Aroostook County.