West Georgia Technical College student enrollment numbers continue to increase in comparison to this time last year.

Preliminary figures show a 20.9 percent increase over the combined winter 2009 enrollment of West Central Technical College and West Georgia Technical College, according to a press release. The two colleges merged July 1, 2009, forming Georgia’s second largest technical college.

Raw numbers show a 1,252 student increase for a total of 7,250 students. The total is just 65 students shy of the college’s record-breaking fall quarter.

The college’s Murphy Campus in Waco also increased student enrollment numbers this quarter compared to this time last year.

“We’ve got 1,471 students that are attending classes on the Murphy Campus,” said Vice President of Institutional Advancement Dawn Cook. “That is actually up 14 percent from last winter.”

Cook attributed the increased number of students as proof that in this economy more people are enrolling in college to get training.

“We’re also seeing a number of graduates that have four-year degrees that are coming back to attain a skill to become employable,” she said.

West Georgia Tech also offers accessibility with five main campuses and more than 130 associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificate programs, Cook said.

“Our per-credit hour fee for tuition is $40 per credit hour,” she said. “I think that’s another reason we’ve seen an increase in enrollment, the fact that our per credit hour tuition is much less expensive than some of the other higher education entities.”

Tuition and fees have not increased at the college to deal with the influx of students, Cook said. This is because tuition rates are governed by the Technical College System of Georgia.

“We continue to hire in critical areas, most notably faculty, to meet the student demand,” she said.

Vice President of Student Affairs Eddie Gore said that West Georgia Tech’s busiest campus is its virtual one.

“Our by-campus student count shows that more students are taking classes online than at any single location the college has,” Gore said in a press release. “Enrollment in online classes more than doubled over last winter to a total of 1,919 students. That figure puts West Georgia Tech’s online enrollment in the top five statewide.”

College President Dr. Skip Sullivan said in a press release the growth in the first three quarters of the merged West Georgia Tech has continued a trend that the former West Central Tech was already seeing.

“Prior to the merger, West Central had eight consecutive quarters of year-over-year, double-digit enrollment growth. The first three quarters as a merged college have continued that string,” he said. “We are offering the type of fast-paced, hands-on, real-world education that people are demanding in today’s economy.”