The increase in enrollment at Pellissippi State Community College this fall is bringing the student headcount back to near pre-COVID pandemic levels.
The fall enrollment forecast is up by at least 7% this term, with official numbers to be finalized by Sept. 14. Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Services Leigh Anne Touzeau said early estimates show more than 9,100 students enrolled at the College – with over 5,000 of those students full time.
“We’re very excited,” Touzeau said. “We’ve seen a big spike in dual enrollment. But also, I think, that we’ve kept more students. We’re doing a lot to try to support our students who are here and retain them.”
Enrollment figures are bolstered this fall by 2,400 returning students and the more than 2,000 Dual Enrollment students, or high school students taking courses for college credit, making them roughly the same size as the class of first-time freshmen. In fall 2019, prior to the pandemic, Pellissippi State had 10,694 students. The same time a year later, that number had fallen to 9,334.
The expected rise in enrollment may not come as a surprise following Pellissippi State’s first-ever Career Carnival, an event with inflatable games, fair food and more, that garnered about 400 students and guests last week before the semester began.
The carnival, a collaborative effort by the Stay Strong Success Center, Career Development and Student Engagement and Leadership, offered students the opportunity to connect with 18 local employers.
“I’m excited about the feelings on campus,” Touzeau said. “More people are back, more cars are in the parking lot, more engagement with people together. It’s like we can finally put that chapter behind us.”
Touzeau points to excellent faculty, small class sizes and a cost-efficient quality education as the big draws for students. Financial aid options – including Tennessee Promise for freshmen, Tennessee’s Dual Enrollment Grant for high school students and Tennessee Reconnect for students ages 23 and older – as the tools Pellissippi State is using to recruit and retain students.
Imree Townsend, a second-year student, said she chose Pellissippi State because she wanted to be more financially responsible. With the freedom to explore career options in elementary education and psychology, she was able to select a career path that is right for her without the heavy expense she may have incurred elsewhere.
Townsend was one of many students soaking in the sunshine on the first day of classes at the Hardin Valley Campus, studying outdoors and catching up with classmates. She said she appreciates the community Pellissippi State offers – especially after attending high school as a homeschool student.
“It’s been a really positive experience to go from what I was doing with a very close-knit community, to this bigger way of education,” Townsend said, sitting outside at a picnic table and poised to get to work with her laptop open. “So that’s been really cool.”