Economy driving flood of new students to PRCC

POPLARVILLE, Miss. (AP) - As college classes start up again, Pearl River Community College plans to welcome a flood of new students.

At the Poplarville and Forrest County campuses, officials say enrollment will surpass 5,000—up more than 13.6 percent from last year.

Chuck Abadie, PRCC public relations director, says the challenge is taking care of enrollment growth and making sure the students get the classes they want.

As of late Thursday, more than 1,850 students had registered at the Poplarville campus—200 more than last year. School officials attribute the student growth to the economy. The tight job market has caused people to return to school for new job skills.