Sep. 18--Record numbers of students have enrolled at many Texas universities this fall, suggesting that fears the economy would keep students from pursuing an education haven't come true.

Instead, the economy may be driving the increase.

"If the economy goes down, you have a number of people who would have been working," said Scott Imberman, an economist at the University of Houston. "Their options become, do you take a lower-quality job, or do you stay unemployed, or do you go back to school?"

Students who planned to start work right after high school or to drop out of college for a job instead may have decided to return to the classroom, he said.

"A sinking economy floated all boats," said Dale Wasson, senior associate vice president of enrollment services at the University of Texas-Arlington, where enrollment jumped 12 percent.

Requests for financial aid are up, too, and some schools with higher enrollment also have new financial aid programs. Financial aid at UT-Arlington, for example, is up by 40 percent.

Some schools noted strong increases for online programs. Graduate programs grew at some schools but not at others.

Community colleges earlier this month said their enrollment has skyrocketed. That was attributed to a desire for new job skills and a break on tuition, prompting worries that students might avoid more expensive four-year schools.

But preliminary data released this week shows enrollment is up at most four-year schools, too. Universities setting records include the University of Houston, UH-Victoria, UH-Downtown, Rice, Baylor, Texas A&M, Prairie View A&M, Stephen F. Austin State University and UT campuses in Arlington, San Antonio and El Paso.

The official numbers won't be out until October.

'You just had this fear'

The biggest increases are generally for public schools, something Imberman said is to be expected. "When it's hard to come by money, you take the less-expensive option."

Still, most private schools say their numbers are up, or down only slightly.

Rice University grew about 5 percent, to 5,727 students. Houston Baptist University's undergraduate enrollment jumped 6 percent; graduate enrollment is up, too.

Other private schools reported smaller increases or none at all.

But after a year of dire predictions, even flat enrollments were welcomed.

The University of St. Thomas reported a drop of 12 students, or .3 percent.

"In a down economy, I'm excited about that," said UST admissions director Lee Holm. "You just had this fear."

There and elsewhere, private schools are pushing financial aid.