DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines Area Community College is seeing a high number of applicants for its programs in the Fall semester, some due to demand for trades, others due to the cost of a four-year university.
The Iowa Board of Regents is set to consider tuition increases at the three state universities. Members are proposing a three percent increase to tuition, along with increases in mandatory fees. If approved, it would raise costs by $300-$500. This comes after a three percent increase was passed last year as well.
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Trade schools, like DMACC, are seeing a boom in enrollment and Fall applications across their programs. Andrew Neuendorf, Associate Academic Dean of Manufacturing, Engineering, Trades, and Transportation, said the increase could be attributed to a couple of different factors.
The first is cost. Most programs at DMACC take around one to two years to complete. Another is the demand for what they teach. Manufacturing is the largest sector of Iowa’s economy in terms of GDP. The rise in construction across the metro also requires builders, electricians, HVAC technicians, and more…