Enrolment on the Rise, Despite Growing Student Living Costs

Despite the USA seeing the highest living costs in history, post secondary enrolment levels are still on the rise, with total numbers expected to hit 20,000,000 by 2016. Pre recession enrolment levels for degree granting institutions were 18,000,000 in 2008, with a steady growth of 200,000 additional students per year.

With the average family electricity bill rising $300 in the last five years and the consumer price index growing 3% in 2011, students are certainly feeling the pinch. Campus fees for living space is rising, tuition fees are rising; so why the continuous growth in enrolment?

One theory would be that during a recession period, unemployment levels typically hit all time highs and many people seek to improve their potential job security by pursuing further education. In 2010 10% of the US workforce was unemployed. Although this number has dropped to 8.5% in December 2011, that’s still above the
pre-recession level of 5% in 2007.

Lindsey Hawkins from technicalschool.org tells us about her experiences in the sector:

“Generally speaking, when people can’t find work then they tend to think about ways they can improve themselves and increase the likelihood of finding work. This often means more education and in some case means taking job specific training courses to obtain necessary certifications and degrees. By doing so, people believe they will not only stand out amongst stiff competition, but be better prepared for the next time the economy takes a turn for the worse.”

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Jenny Quinn

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