Itawamba Community College is the third largest of its kind in the state, following a 15.7 percent increase in its enrollment this year over last fall.

ICC's overall unduplicated headcount is 7,832 as compared with 6,769 last fall, according to preliminary figures from Dr. Gregg Jefcoat, registrar and director of Admissions, putting ICC behind Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Hinds Community College.

Of those, a total of 286 Itawamba County residents enrolled as freshmen at the community college this semester, adding to a total of 844 Itawamba County students who enrolled at the college this year.

According to ICC Vice President of Student Services, the increase in enrollment "is evidence of the growing awareness of the need for increased education from the residents in ICC's five-county support district."

Enrollment gains were experienced at almost every site including the Fulton and Tupelo campuses and in online education. Numbers from the non-credit Belden Center were not included in the report. Additional significant increases were in Tupelo day classes, which increased 37 percent over last fall, and Tupelo evening enrollment, which is up 19.7 percent from the same time last year.

"We at ICC feel that the significant enrollment can be attributed to solid recruiting; assistance with financial aid including the tuition guarantee program which was available for all 2009 high school seniors in Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe and Pontotoc counties; operation of the shuttle service between campuses; flexible scheduling; the effect of plant layoffs and closings, and in general, a caring attitude about our students," Collins said. "Today there is a general awareness of the need for the acquisition of more knowledge and skills in order to be more competitive in today's global market."

Itawamba County students did take advantage of the new guaranteed tuition program, which was initiated in September of last year. A total of 30 newly-enrolled students received free tuition to the school as part of the program. It's worth noting, however, that the guaranteed tuition program only benefits students who don't already recieve scholarship or grant funding from other sources.

Another noteworthy statistic, a total of 1,917 graduates in ICC's five-county district, 1,475 have enrolled in college during the fall semester, and 1,107 or 75 percent are attending Itawamba Community College.

"Students at ICC can combine onsite and online instruction in any academic or technical discipline," Collins said, "and this enables especially adult learners to work toward a degree, which is vital in today's work force. Often when the economy is slack and there are not a lot of jobs, there is growth in enrollment, but with a shift in the types of industries within our area, a lot of people are interested in learning the necessary skill sets to be considered for employment."

ICC's restructured class schedules on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays continue to better accommodate the needs of its students, especially those for whom transportation or employment is an issue, Collins said. Another factor is that ICC's students can enroll in the same academic classes at the Tupelo campus as are offered at the Fulton campus, which is documented by the 37 percent increase in students from last fall.

ICC's enrollment has continued to increase in the last five years, especially in online classes, Collins said. "Online courses have become a viable option for some adult learners, who want to pursue a degree, and for them, distance learning coursework is a better fit." Projections indicate that ICC will continue to lead the state in enrollment in distance learning classes.

For the city of Fulton, the school's growth means increased streams of revenue as students pour into the area for seven months out of the year.

"ICC definitely has an impact on our community," said Fulton Mayor Paul Walker. "The growth of the college has been absolutely phenomenal lately, and it puts an injection in Fulton's arm like a shot of vitamin B. It's absolutely wonderful to see it grow like that. I think both the city and the college will continue to grow together."

Collins expresses similar sentiments, referring to the harmonious relationship between the school and surrounding area.

"ICC offers accessible classes close to home in a supportive environment for everyone in the region," Collins said. "We're glad that so many students have selected ICC as their college of choice and that we are playing a significant role in their future."

Itawamba County Times staff writer Adam Armour contributed to this story. He can be reached at 862-3141, by e-mailing adam.armour@itawamba360.com or by visiting his blog at itawamba360.com.