Seems not everyone’s succumbing to the recession. Business is booming at South Central College.

Bad economic times usually trigger a bump in college enrollment, but the kind of growth SCC has seen this spring is certainly unusual.

Credits are up nearly 14 percent over a year ago, while head count is up nearly 10 percent. The numbers mean student numbers are up dramatically and that more of them are taking heavier course loads.

“These numbers will continue to rise,” SCC President Keith Stover said, “because we’re selling credits throughout the semester.”

SCC offers traditional classes as well as some classes that students enroll for that work on a one-on-one basis between student and instructor. Some of the college’s agriculture classes work this way, and SCC is seeing a lot of growth in its work with farmers.

The biggest growth area, however, wasn’t farmers or, as some may suspect, workforce veterans returning for re-education.

The biggest growth area is in the college’s youngest students. Nearly 65 percent of the new students are in the 25-and-younger age group. And as for education type, the predominant growth is found in the liberal arts and sciences part of the college’s dual mission.

One of those students is Nya Dang, an 18-year-old single mom originally from Sudan.

When she was at West High School, Dang said, she’d been told that community colleges are a good alternative for students who want to start their college education to subject themselves to the experience of larger schools such as Minnesota State University.

Dang — who hopes to eventually transfer to MSU before heading back to Sudan to open her own or manage someone else’s business — has been very happy so far with the SCC experience.

“I can talk to any of my teachers whenever I want,” she said.

Lauren Bammert, a first-year student from Mapleton who plans to take general education classes at SCC and then transfer to MSU, said she hasn’t noticed much of a difference in the number of students on campus.

Stover said he expects the technical programs, many of which require students to start in the fall, will show equally strong growth when fall classes commence in late August.

To accommodate the additional students, Stover said the college will increase the number of sections for select courses. The college also plans to expand its summer session operations as well.

And while Stover says he doesn’t think the economy is the main driving force behind the surge, it is a factor.