Source: NPR
According to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, there were at least 250,000 fewer students enrolled in college this year than the year before.
College enrollment has dropped for the last eight years by about 11%, as reported by NPR.
Smaller institutions have been the most impacted because they’ve lost crucial funding to keep their doors open. Experts believe that this has to do with a good economy. When the economy is in good shape, there are more jobs and people postpone college. But when the economy is bad, as during the recession, more people go to college to boost their skills and become more competitive for the few jobs that are hiring.
Another factor is that the high cost of attending a college or university is only getting worse and fewer families can afford sending their children to college.
Because there are fewer students enrolling in college, higher education institutions are focusing more on retention by offering more resources to those who are already in school.
Read Full Story: NPR