TRAVERSE CITY -- Meagan Krueger's summer break is no study break.
The Grand Valley State University student from Kingsley took on a job and classes. She enrolled in math and human biology courses this summer at Northwestern Michigan College and plans to transfer the credit back to Grand Valley. It's a situation that's "not at all" unique among classmates, given the number of credits they must complete to graduate, she said.
"It's kind of required now that you take summer classes. Plus, it's cheaper than staying another semester," Krueger said.
Krueger will be a junior in the fall and is studying graphic design. She considered taking the classes downstate, but "it came down to cost."
"It was going to be cheaper to stay at home," she said.
Juggling a job at Target plus the summertime coursework is a preferable alternative to loading up on credits during a traditional semester. Krueger knows students whose schedules were packed so tightly during the academic year that they "were overwhelmed and had no social life."
She's not the only one in summer school. NMC in Traverse City saw a bump in the number of "guest students" who enrolled for summer courses with the intention of transferring the credit back to their college or university.
"It hasn't been a huge increase, but it has been substantial as far as new students," said Jim Bensley, NMC director of admissions.
NMC counted 110 guest students enrolled during summer 2008. This summer, the count is 122. The college receives a number of summer students who attend Grand Valley, Michigan State University and Central Michigan University, Bensley said.
"It's a chance for them to get ahead and finish their credit faster," he said.
Another bonus: It may be cheaper for some students to earn credits at a local community college. NMC charges Grand Traverse County residents $77.40 per contact hour. Students might also save by living at home rather than renting an apartment or by returning to a summer job they previously held.
"That's one big reason that they'll do that. They can certainly save money to take that college algebra class here as opposed to taking it at the University of Michigan," Bensley said.
Other area colleges also reported an increase in the number of summer students. At Petoskey's North Central Michigan College, a spokesman said the overall summer headcount is up nearly 18 percent from last summer. Part of that increase is due to a wave of unemployed workers with benefits that allow them to go to college. The college did not know how many summer students planned to transfer NCMC credit back to their home institution.
West Shore Community College, located between Ludington and Manistee, saw a spike in guest students. There are 33 such students taking classes this summer, up from 24 in summer 2008, said Thom Hawley, director of college relations.
Central Michigan University, a four-year institution with graduate programs, also reported more students at the Mount Pleasant campus for its first summer session. Director of Media Relations Steve Smith said 3,654 students took classes in the first session this summer, compared to 3,470 in 2008. He didn't know why more students took courses this year, but said enrollment for summer online courses also has gained in past years.
Bensley, the NMC admissions director, said students should check with an adviser at their home school to ensure that credits taken elsewhere will transfer.
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