North Idaho College enrollment rising

COEUR d’ALENE — Summer enrollment is up at North Idaho College, and the rising numbers bode well for the fall.

NIC President Nick Swayne was optimistic as he touted the college’s enrollment numbers Wednesday night, during the board’s monthly meeting.

“We’re getting a whole bunch of new students in,” Swayne said. “If you’re thinking about taking classes now, sign up, because we’re starting to fill up.”

Tami Haft, dean of enrollment services at NIC, said a total of 1,091 students are enrolled for the summer session, an increase of 16% over last summer. These students are taking a combined 5,042 credits, 20% more than last year.

The number of first-time, degree-seeking students has increased 60% over last summer. Haft said she expects many of these students to continue attending NIC in the fall.

More students are enrolling at NIC, Swayne said, and they’re taking more classes than they did last year.

“Those are two really good indicators of what’s going on at NIC,” Swayne said.

A total of 2,701 students were enrolled at NIC as of Wednesday, according to data presented to trustees, more than 1,600 of whom are full-time students. Enrolled students are taking 24,975 combined credits, an increase of 7% over this time last year.

“Our goal is a 2% increase (in overall enrollment) over last year, but we may beat that,” Swayne said.

If that happens, Swayne said, it would be the first time NIC has seen increased enrollment for two semesters in a row in more than a decade.

NIC athletics director Shawn Noël also provided trustees with an overview of how scholarships have been allocated to student athletes so far.

NIC’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 assumes that all student athletes playing sports associated with the Scenic West Athletic Conference will fall into the highest tuition rate schedule, about $10,000 per semester, and that the college will cover their tuition, room and board, books and a round-trip flight.

Of NIC’s 179 student athletes, Noël said, 124 have received scholarships so far, though Noël noted that number could increase. These include 37 international student athletes and 39 out-of-state student athletes. International and out-of-state students both fall into the highest tuition rate schedule.

A total of 10 student athletes from Kootenai County will play for NIC, six of whom have received scholarships. NIC has recruited nine student athletes from other counties in Idaho, two of whom have received scholarships.

Swayne said that in September or October the college will have a clearer picture of how much of the funds budgeted for student athletes have been spent. That's when enrollment numbers are finalized.