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Public colleges, universities see surge in popularity

by Darryn Simmons
November 2, 2008

High school senior Marissa Lawler is expanding her options by looking at colleges closer to home.

The senior at Jefferson Davis High School once wanted to attend the University of Notre Dame, but now she's looking at other schools.

"It's not the best time financially for my family, so I'm looking at more affordable schools," she said.

Lawler is part of a growing national trend that shows more high school students are considering public colleges and universities.

"It's great for the public colleges," said Paul Kanarek, a vice president at the Princeton Review, a test preparation service.

Kanarek said private schools have gotten many of the top students for years but the times are changing.

An online survey by ApplyWise.com, an admissions counseling service, and Next Step magazine found that 70 percent of families are seeking more economical college options, either because their financial situations have changed in recent months or because they're afraid it will.

Area colleges have noticed the trend as well.

Martha Pettway, admissions director at Alabama State University, said they've noticed an increase in applications at the school as well as interest in how much ASU costs to attend.

"(The cost) is the first thing students and parents ask," Pettway said. "I think the combination of affordability and good programs have made Alabama State very appealing to students."

Karen Scissum-Gunn, university provost at ASU, agreed.

"Our enrollment numbers have definitely increased and I feel we're the best-kept secret in the state when it comes to higher education," she said.

Scissum-Gunn said that in the best of economic times, private schools can be a challenging prospect from some students because of the admission costs, so it's not surprising that many students are taking notice of schools like ASU in this tough economic time.

Valerie Crawford, director of admissions at Auburn Montgomery, said school officials have noticed increased interest there as well.

"We've got the largest freshman class in the history of the school," she said. "The number of applications for enrollment we received was up by, like, 400 so we've definitely noticed a change."

Crawford said she thinks the bad economy may have opened the minds of some students.

"Some students just don't look positively on their local public universities sometimes," she said. "Now they're looking at schools like this and really realizing that they have something to offer."

An online survey of more than 2,500 prospective college students released this month by MeritAid.com, an Internet service providing information on colleges and scholarships, found that 57 percent of its users are considering less-expensive colleges.

Kanarek called the financial situation, "the perfect storm" in which everything is sinking: the mutual funds many families use to save; the sale and mortgage value of homes; the supply of student loans and college endowment income, which many tap to grant financial aid.

Keith Holt, a senior at Robert E. Lee High School, said his parents sat down with him and asked him to give more consideration to public universities.

"Times are tight and everyone has to make sacrifices," he said. "You're still going to get a good education though, so I think that's what's most important."

This doesn't mean private schools are in a state of emergency however.

Many still are doing well.

Huntingdon College's enrollment went over the 1,000 mark for the first time since the 1960s this year, according to spokesperson Sue Ofe.