Oregon Public Broadcasting

Monday was the first day of school at the state’s largest educational institution. Officials at Portland Community College say the down economy is fueling an estimated 20 percent rise in student enrollment across the college’s five campuses.

Student Development Dean Diane Mulligan says it's obvious when you look at the lines leading up to the registration desk, or the demand for financial aid.

Diane Mulligan: “Probably our biggest backup, although you can’t see it, is probably our financial aid office where we’ve seen as many applications for financial aid this fall, than we did over the entire year, last year.”

Mulligan says classes filled up quickly, and many students will have to ask their teachers to get in.

Officials say that’s partly because the college is dealing with state budget cuts have added to the class crunch, making it hard to hire more teachers.

PCC and many other community colleges in Oregon have now seen enrollment growth for some time. Last winter term there was a 12 percent increase across all of Oregon’s community colleges.