By Rebecca Feldhaus/Angela Hatton
Hopkinsville, KY – Enrollment is up at western Kentucky's three community colleges. Hopkinsville Community College announced enrollment for the 2010 spring semester was up 14.1 percent compared to last year. HCC's enrollment for fall 2009 was up 16.1 percent over fall 2008. The 2009 increase marks the second largest annual enrollment increase since the school joined the Kentucky Community and Technical College System in 1998. Officials at Western Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah report an approximate 15 percent increase in enrollment from fall 2009 to fall 2010's projected totals. Madisonville Community College also saw increases, with more students enrolling and more retained from the fall to the spring semesters. Dean of Student Affairs Jay Parrent says applications this summer are already up ten percent from the same time last year. He says they are increasing class sizes and adding courses to deal with the demand.