Students seeking to meet higher professional goals or enhance their personal lives are driving up enrollment in noncredit courses at Howard and Anne Arundel community colleges.
Both schools have experienced a steady four-year increase in enrollment of students taking noncredit and credit courses, with noncredit courses taking the lead.
“I think there?s a lot more people looking to solidify their employment now and want to stay current with the technology,” said Linda Schulte, public relations director for Anne Arundel Community College.
“The president [Martha Smith] has referred to the community college as the 21st-century graduate school, because people with degrees are coming back.”
“People take noncredit courses for two main reasons: personal enrichment or professional development,” said JoAnn Hawkins, associate vice president of continuing education and work force development at Howard Community College.
Noncredit courses are for students who don?t want a degree, while credit classes are more traditional, with exams and grades for those seeking an associate?s degree or enough credits to transfer to a four-year university or college.
The number of students taking noncredit courses always has been higher than credit courses because noncredit courses serve a wider and more diverse audience, Hawkins and Schulte said. Those enrolled in classes can be senior citizens taking water aerobics to professional accountants returning for certification, said Schulte.
Tuition for a county student is $86 per credit hour at Anne Arundel and $114 per credit hour at Howard. Costs for noncredit courses at both colleges vary and depend on the class, level of instruction and course length, school officials said. Both colleges have been expanding and rebuilding to accommodate the growth in students.
Howard Community College has built three major structures during the past academic year: a new parking garage, the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center, and the Rouse Company Foundation Student Services Hall, said Randy Bengfort, director of public relations and marketing.
Anne Arundel Community College?s largest classroom building is being renovated and is expected to be completed by January 2009, Schulte said.
“Capacity is an issue, but capital project funding is limited,” she said.
