Oregon Public Broadcasting

Recently laid-off workers in Oregon can go back to school for free, in Klamath Falls.

Two colleges in southern Oregon will offer free classes this semester for newly jobless Oregonians.

Klamath Community College and the Oregon Institute of Technology, both in Klamath Falls, started taking calls Wednesday from prospective, unemployed, students.

OIT President Chris Maples says the free tuition offer is only for the Spring semester.

Chris Maples: “We have some seats available in some classes, and it’s a limited number of classes, frankly. We run pretty lean anyway.”

OIT will limit the unemployed students to sign up for classes with space.

Klamath Community College will offer 3 new classes open only to the recently unemployed.

Officials at both schools say it’s a way to give back.

But they also say the move could boost their enrollment revenue in the long run, because some students might stay in school after this semester.