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New Jersey Association of State
Colleges and Universities |
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150 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08608 609-989-1100 609-989-7017 fax njascu@njascu.org
150 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08608 609-989-1100 609-989-7017 fax njascu@njascu.org |
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Colleges Can't Keep Up With Demand by Darryl G. Greer Asbury Park Press This fall, the number of applications for full-time status in the freshman class at eight of New Jersey's state colleges and universities reached 44,000, 6.8 percent more than these institutions received one year ago. There are about 9,500 freshman seats. Consider that this increase in student interest comes not at the end, but in the middle of, a big growth spurt in the number of New Jersey high school graduates seeking college that started in 2000 toward a high plateau around 2010. Consider that the state's population is growing rather rapidly, expected to reach about 9 million within a few years. Consider that New Jersey ranks No. 1 in the nation in the share of its ninth-graders who finish high school and move on to college, but 45th in four-year public college/university seats per resident. Consider that several of the Garden State's key growth industries are urgently seeking well-educated people from anywhere they can get them, but naturally prefer home-grown talent. Consider that New Jersey's state colleges and universities have the strongest public support ever as places where students can get a high-quality education at an affordable price. Consider that many adults, both those inside and outside the workforce, are expected to seek more higher education opportunities in the future. And, consider that higher education is, more than ever before, viewed as a path to the American Dream, including a satisfying career, prosperity and a lifetime of making informed choices. That is plenty to consider. So last month, our association issued a public advisory that the enrollment crunch is intensifying at state colleges and universities: The College of New Jersey, Kean University, Montclair State University, New Jersey City University, Ramapo College, Richard Stockton College, Rowan University, William Paterson University and Thomas Edison State College. Of these, only Thomas Edison, because of its unique niche in educating adult students where they live, can significantly expand without pressure to build more lecture halls, classrooms, studios and labs. The good news is that many students are still gaining admission to state colleges and universities. They arrive as first-time freshmen or as transfer students from county colleges. Some also arrive from other four-year institutions that, for one reason or another, were not the right fit. Our warning is not intended to deter students from applying. Indeed, they should apply, but not expect guaranteed admission. Despite the demand, good students often do get into their first-choice school. Applying to two state colleges and universities, as a great many students do, also makes sense. The unfortunate development is that increasing numbers of students with respectable academic records may be falling just short of a bar that is still climbing. High demand necessarily leads to increased selectivity because of limited academic space. Many have wondered whether increased selectivity has left certain sectors of the population out in the cold. The short answer is "no." Our institutions draw students from all parts of the state, so no region is left our. Our collective student body, composed of 90 percent New Jersey residents, represents a cross-section of the different economic groups found here. Part of our rapid growth involves serving more minority students than ever. Fifteen years ago, our undergraduate student total was 63,350. Now it is approaching 77,000. During that time, enrollment of African-American students increased 45 percent, Asian/Pacific Islander students increased 164 percent and Hispanic students increased 134 percent. The state has a formal plan to expand higher education to meet the state's needs, but lacks the major public investment required to make it materialize. The state made some progress this year with a budget that promises to support enrollment growth, but by and large it has nibbled at the core problem. That core problem, the enrollment crunch, could jeopardize college opportunities for students seeking higher education later this decade and throughout the next. A multibillion-dollar, voter-approved, academic facilities bond benefiting all New Jersey's colleges and universities would go a long way toward creating the places needed to expand college opportunities here. A bond issue, along with other strategic investments to keep tuition affordable and to help economically challenged students pay for college, will keep the doors of higher education wide open. It is through these portals that New Jersey's brightest future can be realized. |
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