Worcester, MASS--  Quinsigamond Community College is reporting its highest enrollment numbers in more than a decade.  Nearly 9,000 students are enrolled for the fall semester, numbers the college hasn't seen since 2012. In 2011, the college was home to more than 9,000 students, but QCC president Luis Pedraja said numbers began to drop in 2014 and during the covid-19 pandemic numbers hovered around 6,000 students. Pedraja said this year, the more faces on campus makes for a more energized environment. 

"Just to see the number of students on our campus, the energy they bring. The excitement. The hopes and dreams and making a better life for themselves through education. It energizes everybody,” Pedraja said. “It’s been a lot of hard work getting them in and my team has done a remarkable job. Everyone at the college has worked hard to welcome the students and now they're there and it’s just a wonderful time."

QCC said state programs like MassEducate and MassReconnect, which provide free tuition and fees to qualifying Massachusetts residents, played a major role in the enrollment spike.