With the first day of fall term approaching on Monday, Sept. 22, Central Oregon Community College (COCC) is currently poised to begin the new academic year with a 5.8% increase in overall student headcount, totaling some 4,167 students, with 3,389 being credit-seeking. The aggregate of full-time, credit-seeking students rose by around 3%, to 1,095.
“Since our admissions deadline isn’t until this Friday, Sept. 12, we’re anticipating more than 6,200 credit and noncredit students to be enrolled, with some 4,300 of those being credit-seeking,” said Tyler Hayes, dean of enrollment management and registrar.
Notably, the in-state, out-of-district category is presently up 10.7% from a year ago, and students transferring to COCC from other colleges — perhaps reflective of needs in the economy and shifting career plans — increased by 11.5%.
With new training opportunities at COCC, such as added cohorts in health care fields and additional manufacturing courses, plus a new associate degree program being offered at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution, access and options are bringing more students to classrooms.
“Our full-time numbers at the Madras campus, where the campus build-out is bringing health care and education career training, has grown by more than two-thirds,” said Hayes. The new Madras campus facility will be fully operational by winter term.
Hayes attributes some of the increase to COCC’s ongoing prioritization of support systems for students. The college’s Foundation, for instance, is offering a record $2 million in scholarships to some 400 students this year. And generous grant aid to the college, such as recent awards from the Roundhouse Foundation and Oregon Community Foundation, providing $6,000 to foods banks at the Prineville and Madras campuses and $10,000 in COCC scholarships for Latinx high schoolers, respectively, opens ways for students to commence and accomplish college goals.
COCC’s fall term admissions deadline is Sept. 12. Visit cocc.edu or call 541-383-7700 to learn more.
