First with a larger number of graduates for Spring and Summer 2011 and now with student retention from Fall 2011 to the current Spring Semester, Snead State Community College is seeing the results of its College Completion Campaign.

The initiative encourages students to “finish what they start” by enrolling at Snead State and remaining a student until they complete their Associate degree. Students armed with an Associate degree have the potential to earn $400,000 in their lifetime as compared to the earning potential for someone with a high school diploma. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the unemployment rate for community college graduates is typically 30 percent lower than for high school graduates.

Since signing on to the College Completion Challenge in 2010, Snead State has shared information with current and potential students about the value of a community college education. As a result, the graduating classes for Spring and Summer 2011 were greater than previous classes in the College’s history.

Now as the Spring 2012 semester is underway, Snead State has seen a growth with student retention. Typically, during the transition between semesters, the College sees a decrease in enrollment due to students attending in the fall but not the spring. The percent of loss ranges from 6-7 percent before this semester.

This Spring, the loss of students between semesters has dropped to less than 4 percent. Enrollment stands at 2,212 with registration for the Spring Mini II Term still open. Credit hour production (based on the number of classes for which students register) for the semester is currently 23,753 credit hours. A student takes a minimum of 12 credit hours to be considered a full-time student.

“Snead State was the first college in Alabama to embrace the national College Completion Agenda. Our faculty and staff worked over the last year to help record numbers of students become Snead graduates. More and more students are setting a goal to attain their Associate degree, and our faculty and staff are committed to helping them make their goal a reality. Our alumni have shared their own stories of how a Snead State education benefited them, and their stories have reaffirmed that we are accomplishing our mission to provide a quality education to our students.

“If you attended Snead State or another college in the past but did not finish your Associate degree, I encourage you to give us a call and take the next step. Our staff can help you develop a plan to become a college graduate. Snead State has been changing lives for the better through education for more than 100 years. You can be our next success story,” said Snead State Interim Chief Academic Officer Dr. Jason Watts.

Students can still register for spring classes. The Mini II term, which lasts eight weeks, begins March 5. For more information, visitwww.snead.edu, or visit Snead on Facebook,www.facebook.com/sneadstatecc.