With the end of the echo boom drawing near, colleges and universities are anxiously awaiting certain enrollment drops.
   Although a record of number of college freshmen have inundated colleges and universities across the nation for a number of years, these numbers are expected to dwindle in the next five to 10 years, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
   Because the baby boomers’ babies, labeled the “echo boom,” have been filling the college halls for the last several years, university enrollments are soaring.
   Thus, colleges and universities are enjoying the cash flow.
   However, John Baworowky, vice president of enrollment management and academic services of St. Louis University, believes this high will soon hit a dismal low.
   “ In a way, winter is coming to higher education by the year 2010,” he said. “This is a feast, and the famine is on the way.”
   In retrospect, colleges and universities are preparing for the decrease by initiating partnerships with high schools, setting up additional scholarships and concentrating more on recruitment.
   To counteract the effects of the enrollment drop, university officials and analysts are studying birth rates, census projections and other market research, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
   Evidently, some future growth is anticipated among first-generation college students in the Midwest. However, it is predicted that these college freshman will be difficult to recruit.
   Deborah Dey, vice president of enrollment management at Webster University, said finding students is simply a matter of self-preservation.
   Colleges and universities that are tuition-dependent will have to downsize as enrollment decreases.
   Although many universities are expecting enrollment figures to diminish, community colleges are not likely to suffer the decline.
   Since the fall of 2000, Texas Christian University has admitted 974 additional students; UT-Arlington shows an increase of 4,873 students, and TCC is leading with 7,567 more students.
   Cathie Jackson, director of admissions and records at TCC, said she does not believe TCC will experience the drop in enrollment, but local universities may see a decline.
   “ Because we reach out to a wide range of ages, I doubt we as a community college will see a difference,” she said. “But since traditional students go to college for three or four years, I can see the larger universities being affected more.”
   We appreciate the recruiters who work year-round sending the TCC message to the community.
   We applaud TCC for continuing to work within its community to offer courses and an affordable education that should be available when our children are ready for college.