AACC fall enrollment is up at least 2.3% from last year, with more students returning to in-person classes.

According to Tanya Millner, provost and vice president for learning, the number of students who registered for face-to-face classes has doubled compared with the previous fall semester.

“Last fall … we may have been at about 20% of our offerings … face to face,” Millner said in early August. “And then the rest were hybrid, online and online SYNC. This time we’re at … 50-50. And we’re seeing registration so far follow that same pattern.”
John Grabowski, dean of enrollment services, advised students to enroll early to get the classes and format they want.
“You are able to then structure your life, because you’ll know what times you’ll have to be available for class, transportation … maybe you have a job to show up to,” Grabowski said. “The sooner you enroll … the more you’re able to manage your life.”

Second-year pre-med student Deborah Raji said she prefers the one-on-one interactions that in-person classes allow.

“The … online synchronized one is actually good, too, because you’re able to be on Zoom and talk to [the] teacher,” Raji said. “But if you’re doing the online [only] … it’s hard to, like, actually interact when you have some questions to ask.”

With students returning to campus, there has been increased interest in work study positions.

The number of work study positions available for the fall has increased, according to Lacey Lopez, a financial aid specialist and work study coordinator.

“As far as AACC [work study] employers within the college, we have had an increase from the last couple of years for more people [and] departments to participate in the program,” Lopez said. “And since, I would say last year, where we were still in the pandemic mode where it was less than previous years, already … interest has doubled. So yeah, it’s definitely increasing and super exciting.”

First-year psychology student Vance Wild encouraged students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.
“For [the] most part, it’s almost like free money,” Wild said. “You don’t pay back … grants. And it does pay for a big chunk of the stuff you get. So instead of like, spending … almost 2,000 [dollars on tuition], it pays for that plus [books].”