Enrollment surge could make Utah colleges close the door

SALT LAKE CITY — Nelson Baldomar, 37, has six months of G.I. Bill benefits left. The Army veteran is taking math and English classes at Salt Lake Community College's South City campus so he can transfer to the University of Utah and pursue a computer science degree.

Ruby Barnes, 28, lost her job as a retail store manager and went back to school for the first time in 10 years. She picked SLCC as a low-stress, less intimidating atmosphere in which to figure out her next move.

"I'm getting my feet wet in different areas, and then hopefully I can decide what I want to do," she said.

They're not alone. Not even close.

Utah's surge in college attendance is becoming a flood — and it hasn't peaked yet. At least three schools may abandon their open-door policies and consider enrollment caps as they face more students than they know what to do with.

SLCC saw enrollment jump 18 percent, or 4,500 students, last fall. This year, registration is already on pace for another 20 percent leap. President Cynthia Bioteau says the school is doing everything it can to keep up, including encouraging students to take more summer classes.

Well, that worked: SLCC has 5,000 more students this summer than last year, a 28 percent increase. Bioteau says students would be wise to grab openings now in core "gateway" classes such as English and math that are popular with those planning to transfer to other schools. Spots this fall will be hard to come by.

"Classes aren't any easier in the summer, but getting in is," Bioteau said. "Our parking lots are filled, our classrooms are filled and we're running very full this summer."

She said SLCC is making classes more accessible through online offerings, "creative" scheduling all day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and even a new "mini-semester" starting in October, but there is a finite number of course sections and instructors.

Bioteau attributes the surge in enrollment in part to the economic downturn. More young people can't find jobs straight out of high school, and people who lose jobs are looking for retraining or new skills. Financial aid applications are soaring at SLCC, with 62 percent more requests than a year ago.

Statewide enrollment was up 8 percent to 164,860 students in fall 2009, with Dixie State College leading the way with a 23 percent bump. If Dixie adds another 15 percent this fall as expected, it will have more than 9,000 students. There were fewer than 6,000 when President Stephen Nadauld took charge a little over two years ago.