Becky LaDue, director of North Country Community College’s Radiologic Technology program, instructs students in the college’s radiology lab on the Saranac Lake campus. (Photo provided —NCCC)

SARANAC LAKE — North Country Community College is seeing an increase in enrollment as students return to classes this week for the spring semester, and applications for the fall semester are also trending positive.

As of Jan. 31, incoming student enrollment for spring 2023 is up 29 students, an increase of nearly 28% over last year. The jump matches an increase in applications to the college for the spring semester, which are up by 45 over last year.

“Since the holidays, all signs have been pointing toward very strong spring semester enrollment at North Country,” said Kyle Johnston, vice president for marketing and enrollment. “Our application volume for spring has been hovering around a 17% increase and we are seeing an up-tick in brand new, returning to college, and transfer students. We’ve held the line on tuition and fees for this current year, and that freeze has been extended to the 2023-2024 year, so I think that is proving attractive to prospective students as well.”

Looking ahead to the fall semester, the college has received 685 applications as of Jan. 31, an increase of 60 applications or nearly 10% over last year.

Johnston said some of the college’s recently announced new program offerings are sparking interest among potential students. In January, North Country received state approval to offer a one-year Teaching Assistant Certificate at all three of the college’s campuses: Malone, Saranac Lake and Ticonderoga. The certificate was created to help fill a growing need for more teaching assistants in the region and the state.

The college also received the state go-ahead to offer its two-year Human Services and Child and Family Services degree programs in an online format. The goal of providing these programs online is to create flexibility and convenience for students interested in pursuing careers as care coordinators, counselors or youth advocates.

North Country offers more than 25 programs and certificates that allow graduates to either move directly into the workforce or transfer to a four-year institution to continue their studies. For a complete list of all program offerings, visit www.nccc.edu/programs.

State and federal tuition assistance programs are available for eligible students, and scholarship opportunities are also available. To register, or for more information, email admissions@nccc.edu or call 888-TRY-NCCC.