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The Ohio University Lancaster Campus has seen an increase in their enrollment for this year's fall term, totaling 2,586.

 

That's up 72 students from last year.

 

School officials say they attribute the rise mainly to the switch from quarters to semesters.

 

Lancaster campus Enrollment Manager Pat Fox says that at first, the campus anticipated a dip in enrollment because of the switch.

 

Fox says the switch to semesters has helped the enrollment numbers increase for several reasons.

 

"One is our schedule, we were able to make sure that we had all the additional classes that students need and schedule them at times when they could take the classes," says Fox.   

 

The Lancaster campus has also seen an increase in non-traditional students.

 

Fox says the slow-recovering Southeastern Ohio economy is drawing more non-traditional students in to their campus.

 

"We see students coming here who are re-educating for a new job or are coming back because they've lost their job and they figure they have to do something," says Fox.

 

Fox says she thinks the availability of the federal Pell grant has also had an effect, drawing in more students to the regional campus, both traditional and non-traditional.