"We have traditionally enrolled very few students from northern Alabama," said Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president. "However, we believe the high cost of Tennessee out-of-state tuition is what prevents them from considering Columbia State as a viable alternative."

There are 19 high schools with nearly 8,000 students enrolled in these two counties, all of which are within a 50-mile radius of the Lawrenceburg or Clifton campuses. There are also a significant number of adults who live in northern Alabama but work in the Columbia State service area in south central Tennessee.

Smith also noted that Columbia State has a considerable capacity for an increase in enrollment at the Clifton and Lawrenceburg campuses.

"Even a slight increase in enrollment could result in a fairly significant increase in revenue without a proportionate increase in expenses, while making more effective use of the existing facilities," Smith explained. "This could also potentially allow us to expand the range of academic programming that we can offer at these locations."

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, one of the largest higher education systems in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.

Tennessee's Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. We offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit us online at tncommunitycolleges.org.