Since the start of the pandemic, community college enrollment is experiencing a significant decline across the nation. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data shows an 18.9% decrease in enrollment at community colleges, compared to 10.5% at public four-year colleges and 8.5% at private, nonprofit four-year schools.
This is particularly troubling because community and technical colleges serve many underserved students, minority populations and working adults. Community college faculty, staff and administrators have struggled to deliver online learning and student support services as well as expand existing resources and provide direct tech support.
Capture’s focus for community colleges is to provide online solutions for students who need greater guidance and assistance in the application and enrollment process, without burdening already overextended staff members. Research shows that students who feel a personal connection — a relationship with the college or a previous positive experience — are more likely to enroll and graduate.
The need to create personalized and relevant engagement in a virtual world has never been more immediate. Every interaction needs to be relevant, personalized, data-driven and measured. That’s why Capture’s enrollment and data experts use the Behavioral Intelligence Platform (BIP) — with solutions that integrate into campus systems — to help community colleges achieve their enrollment goals.
BIP offers solutions throughout a prospective student’s enrollment decision. With industry-leading marketing automation and fully managed solutions developed specifically for higher education, Capture gives community colleges the control needed to effectively engage students in relevant ways that increase connections, engagements, applications and improve student retention.
Opening Doors for Students
Traditionally, community colleges don’t engage their prospective students until after they apply. But today, they are reimagining their marketing and recruitment. This was the topic of a recent Capture webinar, “Opening Doors for Students,” with marketing leaders from Sinclair Community College.
During the presentation, Capture’s Vice President of Enrollment Solutions Heather Mueller was joined by Sinclair’s Director of Admissions and Marketing Korrin Ziswiler and Assistant Director of Admissions Michelle Crawford to discuss how the Dayton, Ohio, college is raising its marketing and recruitment efforts by:
- Refining recruitment based on market conditions
- Employing strategies to identify, convert and enroll students
- Developing new tactics to address the current and future higher ed landscape
With an enrollment cycle sensitive to short-term disruption, community colleges are now understanding the value of a shared service approach to marketing and recruitment. Find out how Sinclair Community College is working with Capture to identify, convert and enroll its next and best class of students. Watch the recording.
