TCL enrollment increases to an all-time high this fall

Fall enrollment at the Technical College of the Lowcountry has reached an all-time high with 2,026 students this semester, an increase that appears partly to do with a slowing economy.

TCL's new president, Thomas C. Leitzel, said enrollment is increasing at community and technical colleges across the country as workers lose their jobs. The TCL student population is 11 percent higher than last year's record of 1,825.

"Sometimes when there is a downturn in the employment base, people go back to school for retraining," Leitzel said. "And that's what we want to help to do -- to restore displaced workers."

Leigh Copeland, TCL director of public relations, said the spike in enrollment also could be because of more options at the college, which has campuses in Beaufort and across from Sun City Hilton Head in southern Beaufort County.

The school, which has more than 70 programs, has expanded its schedule to offer courses in morning and evening hours, which are more convenient for students with full-time jobs. Online courses are available as well.

The school operates on three semesters and offers two mini-semesters of eight-week courses where students can earn the same amount of credits as those during the regular semesters.

This year the school has added courses in culinary arts and digital home integration technology, which focuses on wiring houses for audio and visual entertainment and security systems.

Along with more courses, TCL also has opened its doors to a wider geographic area. An agreement was signed earlier this year allowing residents of Chatham and Effingham counties in Georgia to attend the college at the in-state tuition rate.

TCL primarily serves Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton and Colleton counties. About 96 percent of TCL's students are South Carolina residents. Tuition costs about $700 a semester for those participating in the S.C. Education Lottery Tuition Assistance program. That scholarship program is offered to state residents as long as they fill out the appropriate forms; it is not based on financial need.

Those who don't use the assistance program pay about $1,560 a semester; the cost for students required to pay the out-of-state rate is $3,516 a semester.

Leitzel said the school would continue to add programs and refine course schedules to meet community needs, which he hopes will increase enrollment every year.