For the ninth time in the last 10 years, Blinn College’s Fall enrollment has increased over the previous year.

Campus

Fall 2016

Fall 2015

% Change

Bryan

12,338

12,685

-2.7%

Brenham

2,376

2,411

-1.5%

Distance Learning

2,047

1,817

12.7%

Schulenburg

162

125

29.6%

Sealy

133

109

22%

Dual Credit

1,816

1,667

8.9%

Health Science Center

407

394

3.3%

Post Office

48

51

-5.9%

Prisons

56

73

-23.3%

Other

39

38

2.6%

TOTAL

19,422

19,370

0.3%

Contact Hours

3,592,208

3,628,064

-1.0%

Blinn registered 19,422 students for the Fall 2016 semester, a slight increase over the 19,370 who enrolled in Fall 2015. Blinn’s continued growth was fueled by enrollment increases in the College’s online and dual credit offerings, as well as on the Schulenburg and Sealy campuses.

Blinn experienced a 1 percent decrease in contact hours – the number of hours students spend with their instructors – to 3,592,208. The state funding formula incorporates contact hours rather than student enrollment.

Blinn’s enrollment figures include 1,485 students enrolled in the TEAM (Transfer Enrollment at A&M) Program, which allows qualified students to co-enroll at Blinn and Texas A&M University. Students who successfully complete the program earn automatic admission to Texas A&M.

The Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Bryan, a co-enrollment program that allows talented students to pursue their engineering degree while enrolled at Texas A&M and Blinn, registered 560 students for Fall 2016. The Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Brenham,  which allows students to take Blinn and Texas A&M courses as part of a living and learning engineering community, expanded to 98 students in its second year.

Enrollment on the Schulenburg campus increased 29.6 percent to 162 students, and Sealy campus enrollment increased 22 percent to 133 students.

Enrollment on the Bryan campus decreased 2.7 percent to 12,338. Brenham campus enrollment dipped 1.5 percent to 2,376, but Brenham contact hours increased 0.7 percent to 566,848.

Dr. Dennis Crowson, Senior Vice President for Student Services, said he suspects the increase in students registering for dual credit or online courses is beginning to impact campus enrollment totals.

“Regardless of which option students choose, the important thing is that they continue to find the best fit for them among Blinn’s educational offerings,” he said. “Whether students enroll in dual credit or online courses, or choose one of our four campuses, our ultimate goal is to provide a comfortable, convenient platform for each student to succeed.”

Blinn currently is preparing for future growth with the development of new facilities in Bryan and Brenham. In May, the Blinn Board of Trustees accepted an invitation from The Texas A&M University System to partner at the RELLIS Campus as part of the multi-institutional Gateway Education Center. The new campus will establish a new educational community combining a major university system and a community college at a single physical location, and will allow Blinn students to transfer seamlessly to leading universities throughout The Texas A&M System in the years to come.

Blinn’s board also has approved a new student housing facility for the Brenham campus that will accommodate 465 students. The Blinn-Brenham campus currently houses 1,326 students, more than any other community college in the state. Despite this, approximately 925 students were placed on the housing waiting list this summer. The addition of 465 students would generate approximately $3 million in annual revenue.

Located at the corner of Saeger Street and Old Mill Creek Road, the project will be funded by National Campus and Community Development (NCCD)-Blinn College Properties, LLC, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to provide tax-exempt financing specifically for this project.

Registration for Fall eight-week courses is available through Wednesday, Oct. 19.

According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s CollegeForAllTexans.com, out-of-district Blinn students taking 30 credit hours during the 2016-17 academic year will save $3,835, or 44.3 percent, in tuition and fees compared to state residents at the average Texas public university.

 

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