☠ Fall enrollment up at Montgomery Community College

As published in the Courier-Tribune on October 6, 2012

By Hugh Martin
biscoewriter@yahoo.com

TROY – Montgomery Community College is experiencing an increasing number of student enrollments this fall while other community colleges in North Carolina are seeing numbers remaining the same or actually falling.

“Headcount is up by roughly nine percent over fall semester 2011,” said Beth Smith, vice president of student services at MCC. Smith says the increase is due, in part, to the Career and College Promise (CCP) program which started in January, 2012.

The CCP program offers college classes to high school students at no charge to them. Through the program the students are able to earn college credits, which results in a head start when the student graduates from high school.

According to a release from the college, MCC was one of the first community colleges in the state to offer the CCP classes. Students taking a career pathway can earn a credential, certificate or diploma to prepare them for a technical career right out of high school. Students who select the college transfer pathway can earn from 32 to 44 credit hours that are fully transferable to a four-year institution.

All CCP students earn high school and college credit at the same time.

“Thanks to the partnership between MCC and Montgomery County Schools, MCC was able to start offering CCP classes as early as last spring semester,” said Smith.

Another MCC program, Mini Semester Classes, allows students to earn full-credit by taking classes that are just eight weeks in length.

Some of the Mini Semester Classes are available through CCP, making them available to high school students. Most of the Mini Semester Classes will be taught online.

Mini semester registration is going on through October 16 at the college.

Final fall enrollment figures at MCC will not be available until enrollment is completed for the Mini Semester Classes.

A full listing of the classes may be found by visiting the college’s website at www.montgomery.edu/mini-semester-courses.html or to e-mail Karen Frye at fryek@montgomery.edu for more information.