NIC’s fall enrollment numbers are in

NIC has released its official fall enrollment numbers.

According to the report, total headcount was down 2.6 percent, but full-time enrollment (FTE) has increased 1.4 percent from the previous fall semester’s numbers.

“NIC’s fall enrollment numbers reflect trends on the national scale where years of unprecedented growth is beginning to level off,” said North Idaho College President Joe Dunlap.

The Vice President of Student Services Graydon Stanley said that while total headcount fell in line with administrator’s predictions, the increase in FTE was a surprise.

Enrollment in professional technical programs showed a bigger drop in both headcount and FTE, with 12.9 percent less students attending than last year.

Mike Mires, dean of professional technical and workforce education, said the majority of the students were lost from second-year programs and high demand fields such as machining and welding.

Mires said often after students from these programs get a one-year certificate, they will immediately receive offers from a competitive job market and ultimately decide not to continue on to a degree.

The report also showed that the amount of dual credit students on campus had the largest increase, with the numbers showing a 5 percent increase over the previous year.

All numbers for the report were tallied up on Oct. 15, and released on Oct. 16, reflecting a change in educational institutions across the state who will no longer be releasing enrollment numbers on the 10^th day of the semester as was done in previous years.

Stanley said the change took place in order to more accurately represent the information, which was often previously skewed by late start dates for dual credit students, or by those who might withdraw or be dropped from various classes.

A complete fall enrollment report will be delivered to NIC’s board of trustees on October 24.