“There has been a lot more publicity in this soft economy about getting a college education,” he said. “It also could be that there are fewer jobs available for our high school graduates.”

Stover said SCC has not seen a big chunk of people enroll who have been laid off or left a job after many years to pursue a new career. At least not yet.

This could all change, however, with the state’s budget picture. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is looking at modest tuition hikes of about 4 to 5 percent.

If, as forecasters predict, the budget picture gets much worse, colleges and universities will want to raise tuition to avoid laying off faculty (who are set to ratify a new labor agreement that gives them no raises).

If they get their way, it’s possible higher costs will price some students out of the higher education market.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty, however, has been adamant about capping tuition.

If he gets his way, tuition will remain close to what it is today. But faculty may be laid off, and part-time instructors already have been cut. That would mean fewer sections of classes for the a growing number of students to fight over.