Students who plan to take college classes in Iowa this Fall are being encouraged to sign up now.
Radio Iowa’s Pat Curtis reports: Fall Enrollment MP3 :49
Enrollment has been growing at Iowa’s universities and last Fall, combined enrollment at Iowa’s 15 community colleges topped the 100,000 mark for the first time in history. Laurie Wolf, Executive Dean of Student Services at Des Moines Area Community College, says classes fill up fast. “We try to accommodate students the best we can, but there are only so many faculty members and so many classrooms,” Wolf said. “Once classes fill up, unless somebody drops, we can’t wedge anybody else into that classroom.”
Students who enroll for classes in July, rather than waiting until August, will also have a better chance of getting the books they need. “They order so many books and if for some reason we have to add sections at the last minute, we might not be able to get the books in time from the publisher. So, that’s another reason you need to take care of everything in the month of July,” Wolf said.
Students who are applying for college loans should also submit that paperwork in July. Wolf says it can take four to eight weeks to complete the financial aid process.