UTB officials unsure how economy will affect enrollment

BROWNSVILLE - College administrators at the University of Texas-Brownsville say they're still unsure how the country's economic downturn will affect student enrollment this spring.

"The economy is definitely scarier than usual," Vice President of Academic Affairs Charles Dameron said. "It's hard to tell whether that will bring more students in or keep them away."

According to Dameron, those who have lost their jobs in the past few months may use the time to come back to school and seek a degree or new certification.

Other students who had used part-time jobs to make school more affordable may now find classes too expensive.

A full course load of 12 credit hours of standard classes for an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College costs $2,177.30. A full course load for a graduate student of 10 credit hours is $2,131.30.

Dameron says the spring enrollment figure will likely middle out to approximately match last spring's 13,046 students.

On Tuesday, the advising office was packed with returning students.

Among those waiting to register was Joanna Rodriguez, a 21-year-old exercise science student.

Seven months pregnant, Rodriguez will soon have many more expenses to cover. Still, she says, she'd rather shoulder the cost of finishing school than put it on hold.

"I see that the economy is bad," Rodriguez said, "but I'm almost done with my associate's degree."

Bianca Lopez, a 19-year-old nursing student, was waiting to meet with her advisor on Tuesday in hopes of improving her academic standing before the semester is out.

Lopez says the economic slump has increased the pressure to get off of academic probation. If she isn't taken off probation by the end of the semester, Lopez may have to take a semester off and will not be eligible for financial aid for the first semester she is back.

Next to Lopez, 26-year-old Jerry Lucio stood in the doorway of the advising center, weighing his options.

"I'm having second thoughts," said Lucio, who studies technical drafting. "It's so expensive just to take one class."

Still, Lucio eventually took a seat and waited to meet with an advisor.

"Hopefully the economy doesn't turn out to be that bad," he said.