MIDDLETOWN – Community college enrollment has been down across the nation, SUNY Chancellor John King, Jr. said Tuesday.
King toured SUNY Rockland and SUNY Orange noting workforce development programs are doing well in terms of student numbers.
“There has really been a national phenomenon of declining enrollment in community colleges. At the same time, there are individual programs where there is tremendous demand; nursing is one good example. We have a huge shortage of nurses in the state as well as nationally. Many of our nursing programs have wait lists so we know if we can grow those programs where there is student demand we can grow enrollment,” he said. “We also know we have two million New Yorkers who have some credits and no degree. We need to help those students to come back to college to finish their degree.”
The fate of community college tuition increases remains in the hands of state lawmakers and the governor as negotiations continue on the state budget which was due on April 1.
