By M.R. Kropko
The Associated Press

CLEVELAND - Burgeoning enrollment at Ohio's community colleges has school officials increasingly looking for ways to meet the demands of students.

Cuyahoga Community College has three spacious campuses in the Cleveland area, night and weekend classes and increasingly popular distance learning on the Internet. And Columbus State Community College, in downtown Columbus, is planning a new campus in Delaware County.

But the two colleges, and other two-year institutions in Ohio, say they are still concerned that some students are being turned away for lack of space.

Especially in large metropolitan areas, rapidly rising tuition for higher education, combined with a trend at four-year universities to toughen standards for admission, could mean trouble getting in.

"For us, access is critical," said Frank Reis, executive vice president of administration at Tri-C. He said the institution had about 26,000 students in the most recent academic year.

"We are already looking at something like a 23 percent increase in associate degree graduates over the next decade," he said. "It's starting to get tight. We have to be more efficient and diligent in how we schedule."

Columbus State had to turn away students last fall for the first time, said Will Kopp, vice president for institutional advancement.

"Community colleges are supposed to be all about access," Kopp said. He said enrollment was about 23,000 last fall, but that there is no way to know how many people could not get in.

Kopp said part of the supply and demand problem is due to Ohio State University students taking classes as a lower-cost or academic alternative. Ohio State in recent years began tightening admission requirements, and other state universities, most recently Cleveland State, have followed with similar plans that limit or eliminate open enrollment.

Cleveland State President Michael Schwartz said the admissions change was needed because academically unprepared students can lose out.

"We cannot sacrifice the time and money of those who are ill-prepared for academic success and overburdened with tremendous debt when they graduate - if they graduate," he said.

Roderick Chu, chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, said Ohio is joining a national trend to tighten academic standards at universities and make community colleges a first step in higher education.

Ohio has 24 two-year public community colleges and technical schools, two private two-year colleges and 23 two-year campuses that are part of larger four-year institutions, according to the regents board.

Competing for classroom space are nontraditional students, generally working adults trying to get an edge in the job market by enrolling in two-year institutions for technical knowledge or a professional certification.

More than 80 percent of the nation's community college students balance studies with full-time or part-time work, said Kent Phillippe, a researcher for Washington-based American Association of Community Colleges.

He said community colleges report more students with bachelor's and other degrees who choose to come to community colleges for computer classes and other instruction to keep up with advancing technology. He said access is generally not a problem, but space problems vary and occur in some states.

Terry Thomas, executive director of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, said access may depend "on how flexible students can be."

"Generally speaking, we can handle additional enrollment and it's not a big problem now, although it's more of an issue at Columbus State and a few other places. We are trying to find ways to adapt," he said.