EPCC’s enrollment on the decline

El Paso Community College saw a drop in enrollment this summer.

The latest data show that the number of students taking classes at EPCC may continue to decline come the fall semester.

The EPCC Valle Verde campus was bustling when ABC-7 visited in July.

Many of the students are taking advantage of an inexpensive education.

“It’s much cheaper here than it is in San Antonio,” said Karlos Lopez, who attends UTSA.

That was also the motivation for Texas A&M student Greg Jimenez to return home to El Paso for the summer.

“To take two classes (at Blinn College in College Station) I would have to pay, like, $400 dollars more, so, I decided to come back and save money,” he said.

Despite the cost, enrollment at EPCC is down this summer from last.

“Finances aren’t the reason, our tuition is very low,” said EPCC president Dr. William Serrata.

One main cause for the decline, according to Serrata, is the inverse relationship community colleges have with the economy. As the economy improves, enrollment dwindles.

Serrata wants those who put education on the back burner to look at the bigger picture.

“You really want to be able to provide for your family, and education continues to be the most proven pathway to the middle class,” he said.

Serrata laid out the long-term plan to increasing enrollment. He said it begins with creating a college-going culture.
EPCC has partnered with the El Paso, Socorro and Ysleta ISDs on Operation College Bound, a program that emphasizes higher education to elementary school students.

“Children as early as second grade decide whether they’re going to attend college,” said Serrata. “The data is clear: the more you learn, the more you earn, and the less likely you will be unemployed.”

The short-term plan involves reaching out to recent and former students to get them back on campus.

Serrata said that the declining enrollment won’t affect tuition rates this year. But EPCC is monitoring whether they’ll need to be increased in the future.

The college might also need to turn to taxpayers for increased revenue.

Serrata told ABC-7 the college’s staff is also examining the latest tax valuations of El Paso properties and will take a recommendation on its tax rate to the Board of Trustees.

He did not elaborate on when that recommendation would be made.

For Serrata, an education’s benefits extend beyond one student.

“(I’m) really looking at improving the quality of life in this region, and from my perspective, it is so much tied to increasing the educational attainment level,” he said.

EPCC summer school student Karlos Lopez agrees — but in his own words.

“If you don’t get an education, you’ll just be working at some restaurant or something for the rest of your life.”