Record numbers of students attending STC, UTPA

Record numbers of students attending STC, UTPA

Dave Gragg
The Monitor

McALLEN — Student enrollment is on the rise at the Upper Rio Grande Valley’s two main schools of higher learning.

South Texas College reported the number of students enrolled in its campuses jumped by more than 5,000 students this year compared to a year ago. The University of Texas-Pan American, meanwhile, has almost 1,200 more students than it had at this time last year.

Enrollment in community colleges typically goes up when the economy slows down and jobs are scarce, said Juan Mejia, STC’s vice president of academic affairs.

"The economy played a role, but not the only role,” he said.

He also credits several joint initiatives with school districts and economic development corporations such as dual-enrollment programs, in which students receive both high school and college credit for taking a course.

“The community has built a college-going and workforce-readiness culture,” Mejia said.

The college also has increased its online offerings and night and weekend classes, he said.

The more than 27,000 students at STC are equivalent to almost 20,000 full-time students, so many students are taking bigger course loads than they have in the past, Mejia said.

STC’s strong relationship with UTPA makes it easier for students to take basic courses at the lower-cost STC, then transfer those credits to finish out their bachelor’s degrees at the university, he said.

UTPA’s 18,000 students translate into about 14,000 full-time students, according to the university’s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, although official numbers won’t be available until mid-October.

Dave Gragg is the metro editor for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4435.