LIMA — Preliminary enrollment numbers for postsecondary institutions in the University System of Ohio have been released by the Ohio Department of Higher Education, with numbers showing fewer students on local public colleges.
Listing only public community colleges and universities, the only two institutions in Allen County included in the list were Ohio State University-Lima and Rhodes State College.
Rhodes State College had the sharpest decline of the two, with the current preliminary headcount of 3,760 representing a nearly 17 percent decline from last year, with 761 fewer students enrolled. That statistic actually defies the statewide numbers for community college enrollment, which are slightly higher than in 2016.
When breaking down the fall 2017 enrollment numbers for Rhodes State, the largest group of students, representing almost 46 percent of those enrolled, are actually still in high school taking classes through the College Credit Plus. Students enrolling for the first time as an undergraduate represent 11.6 percent of Rhodes State enrollees.
Enrollment at Rhodes State has shown a downward trend since its most recent high of 4,117 in 2009, according to the Ohio Department of Higher Education, with an overall decline of 14 percent from 2007 to 2016.
College administrators could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
For OSU-Lima, preliminary enrollment numbers show a slight decline from 2016, with 1,018 students enrolled. That is 21 students fewer than last year, a change of 2 percent.
According to OSU-Lima Interim Director of Enrollment Kristina Healy, that number is reflective of overall trends in the state, with enrollment at university regional campuses down 2.6 percent overall compared to last year.
“There are also larger universities seeing a downturn in enrollment,” she said. “For us, we consistently stay around that 1,000 range, anywhere from 1,039 to 1,018 to 1,020. We expect about 1,040 to 1,050 each year.”
Healy attributes that decline to lower high school graduation rates, a trend she said is becoming more common in the Midwest.
“There are less college-age students that are ready to take college courses,” she said. “We’re seeing increases in the Southern states, but not so much in the Midwest and Northern states here. When high school graduation rates are down, that can, in turn, cause enrollment numbers to go down.”
Additionally, lower unemployment can also bring down enrollment numbers at community colleges and universities, especially with nontraditional students, according to Healy. Higher unemployment can often drive people to college campuses to expand their skill sets and become more competitive in the job market.
To reverse this decline, Healy said that there are a variety of strategies from scholarship assistance to increased recruitment in Indiana and Michigan.
“We want them to come to the Lima campus, have a good experience and possibly have them stay here in the Lima area,” she said. “We have also looked into getting the approval Indiana tuition reciprocity so students in certain Indiana counties can get charged in-state tuition rates here in Lima.”
OSU-Lima has received approval for Indiana tuition reciprocity, according to Community and Public Relations Director Pamela Joseph.
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