Published: August 28, 2008 10:19 pm         

Wabash Valley Ivy Tech numbers up

Mirroring a statewide trend, Ivy Tech Community College-Wabash Valley Region has another significant increase in enrollment this year.

The Wabash Valley Region has a 6.1 percent increase in headcount, with an enrollment of 5,647 students. The number of full-time equivalent students increased by 4.9 percent, to 3,405.

“Now more than ever, people of the Wabash Valley are understanding the benefit of a college education,” said Jeff Pittman, chancellor of Ivy Tech-Wabash Valley Region. “More and more people in west-central Indiana are seeing the value that Ivy Tech offers them through affordable tuition and quality educational programs that lead to good paying jobs and/or continuing their education at neighboring four-year institutions.”

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development estimates that by 2010 there will be an additional 222,410 high-wage, high demand jobs in Indiana requiring a postsecondary degree, Pittman said.

“Today and in the future, it is obvious how critical a postsecondary education is or will be to Wabash Valley residents,” he added.

Statewide, Ivy Tech has hit a record high fall enrollment. Headcount is up 11.8 percent, with 86,130 students. The state’s community college system saw an increase of more than 9,000 students enroll this fall semester as compared to last fall.

In addition, more students are taking more credit hours as the full-time equivalent (FTE) numbers increased by 12 percent, to 50,114.