WASHINGTON – There was a hike in enrollment at Maryland Community Colleges during the recession. Now things have changed.

During the recession community colleges were seen as a less expensive option in comparison to four-year schools. But as the economy improves, enrollment at Maryland community colleges is declining, The Baltimore Sun reports. It’s the first time that’s happened in more than 10 years.

Causes include less demand for working adults to have to go back to school in order to increase their skill sets, changes in federal student aid reducing eligibility for the federal Pell Grant and a shrinking pool of high school graduates, especially from low-income backgrounds.

The Baltimore Sun reports Maryland’s 16 community colleges saw enrollment increase by 5 percent during the recession, but last year enrollment dropped 2.5 percent.

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