THE FOLLOWING IS A DANVILLE AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE RELEASE
(ABOVE) DACC’s enrollment increase includes a 17-percent jump in career and technical programs like welding
DANVILLE – With another double-digit enrollment increase, Danville Area Community College continues to be a happening place for students.
For the Fall Semester, DACC enrollment is up by more than 11 percent in credit hours while overall headcount is up by 13 percent.
In his role as provost, Vice President Carl Bridges leads the College’s enrollment-management initiatives. He says, “We have nearly 300 more students attending DACC than we did last fall. The increase includes 100 more African-American students. What I love about the community we serve is that the people here understand DACC’s inclusiveness, that the College has an open door for anyone seeking a better life through education.”
Dr. Bridges attributes this enrollment boom partially to the “Bonus Program” that gives students a $600 credit—which amounts to a free class—if they register for at least 12 credits. “This Fall, we have 12 percent more students taking a full-time course load than in 2022. Not only does this help boost enrollment, but an even more important benefit is that being full-time keeps students on track to graduate on time.”
Another key to the enrollment boom is the 13-percent growth in high-school dual-credit enrollment. Dual-credit classes give college-bound students a head start toward their college degrees, whether at DACC or at other colleges and universities.
For the first time in more than 10 fall semesters, enrollment in DACC’s bachelor’s-degree transfer programs has increased—up by 7 percent. This category includes students who are seeking a bachelor’s degree through the DACC-Franklin University 3 + 1 partnership.
The College also reports steep enrollment increases in College Express for high-school students taking career-and-technical classes at DACC (up 8 percent), a 13-percent increase in students taking adult-education classes to earn a high-school diploma, and a 26-percent increase in courses taught online or as a hybrid that combines online with in-class instruction.
The Fall enrollment increase follows a trend that began this past spring with an 8-percent jump in enrollment. DACC’s summer enrollment rose by 16 percent.
DACC President Stephen Nacco points out that the DACC Foundation has once again played a major role in supporting enrollment growth. “Through the efforts of the Foundation Board, Executive Director Tonya Hill, and hundreds of local donors, for the third year in a row, every student who applied for scholarship assistance received it. This year, the Foundation has awarded more than 760 scholarships, and for the first time ever, the total has passed $1 million—a figure that as recently as three years ago no one other than Tonya Hill thought was possible.”
Dr. Bridges points out that it’s not too late to get into DACC classes. The College expects to see continued enrollment growth in the weeks ahead. Late-start classes begin on Mon., Sept. 18. Eight-week classes begin on Mon., Oct. 16.
To apply to DACC online, visit www.dacc.edu or call 217-443-3222.
