In the past six years, the number of students attending community colleges has risen by 10 percent, according to online news source Inside Higher Ed.
Austin Community College, a major feeder school for UT, has also seen enrollment spike 6.9 percent since fall 2007.
"We're not sure why this sudden boom occurred, but we can speculate," said Dean Jones, Austin Community College's senior communications coordinator. "Regardless, we're thrilled."
Jones said he believes the enrollment jump could be attributed to a slew of programs, such as the Early College Start Program, which allows high school students to enroll in college courses, and the Transfer Program, which enables students to transfer to four-year colleges.
This year, 47 percent of the community college's students aim to transfer to a four-year university and are enrolled in specific core classes that enable them to do so.
"The reason why I chose to go to ACC over any other school was because it is the fastest way for me to become a Longhorn while still receiving class credit," said Chandler Rodriguez, a potential Austin Community College transfer student.
Students who intend to transfer are attracted to UT's sense of community and student life but find the more close-knit environment at the community college beneficial in getting their feet wet in a collegiate setting, Jones said.
"While ACC has definitely helped to prepare me, I'm ready to move on to a four-year college with more opportunities to get involved," Rodriguez said. "I wanted to join the ROTC or a writing club. Community college just doesn't offer that."
Although the enrollment boost seems to be uplifting to Austin Community College staff members, more students means that the campus could be more difficult to maintain. ACC is altering its standards to accommodate for that extra 6.9 percent, while still striving to remain accessible.
Austin Community College is planning a Round Rock location, which is scheduled to open by fall 2010 and should be home to 6,000 future students.
"Thanks to the Round Rock annex that passed in May, we were able to begin construction on our eighth campus," Jones said. "We are always looking ahead at potential future campuses as the Austin area grows. San Marcos was another location up for discussion."
There seems to be no direct correlation between the increase in community college enrollment and the number of students annually transferring to UT, said Mike Washington, UT's associate director of admissions. He said perhaps this is due to the more close-knit atmosphere offered by two-year institutions.
"Smaller classes with professors that focus on teaching rather than research is what gives our students a leg up," Jones said. "Our students are on par with other UT students by the time they transfer for that very reason."
Washington agrees that community college students come to UT well-prepared.
"After the adjustment period, transfer students statistically perform at nearly the same rate as any other category of UT-Austin undergraduates," he said.
The rising cost of tuition could be the reason behind a stronger public interest in community college programs, Jones said.
"Our goal is to keep tuition affordable for everyone," he said. "We charge $39 per credit hour, and we do not plan on changing that any time soon."
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