Sep. 18--Area colleges and universities are posting record enrollments, a trend that could boost the region's economy.

The numbers continue an upward tick seen last year as older adults seek new skills in a slow economy, high numbers of students graduate from high school and colleges boost efforts to retain students.

The University of Texas at Arlington posted the largest growth among four-year schools, with a record 28,084 students, up almost 12 percent over last fall's 25,100 students. But the University of North Texas in Denton continues to be the region's largest four-year institution, with 36,206 students, up 4.3 percent.

Texas Christian, Texas Woman's and Texas Wesleyan universities also posted record enrollments. The figures include UNT's Dallas campus and the Fort Worth campus of UT-Arlington.

Among two-year schools, Weatherford College announced a record 5,412 students, up nearly 13 percent, while Tarrant County College reported a record 44,355 students, up 12 percent.

Students may bring state and federal financial aid to the region. The universities, in turn, pump money into the economy by attracting visitors, paying wages and financing research.

UNT's Denton campus pumps at least $1.4 billion a year into the economy, said Terry Clower, director of the Center for Economic Development and Research at UNT. Long term, people with college degrees tend to command higher wages, continuing the economic benefits to North Texas.

"We're becoming a more attractive place for businesses to locate and for investment to occur because we have more people who are going out and becoming better skilled and better educated," Clower said.

Nationally, enrollments at private institutions are holding steady, said Tony Pals of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C. But in Texas, the private Baylor and Rice universities posted record enrollments.

Among public colleges, the University of Texas at Austin (51,302) and Texas A&M University (48,787) reported higher numbers.

Locally, schools are also becoming more diverse. UNT, for example, reported that Hispanic enrollment is up 11 percent to 4,635, Asian enrollment is up 9.3 percent and African-American enrollment is up 8.2 percent. TCU reported that the percentage of minorities in its freshman class is higher than ever, at 19.4 percent.

The demand for job skills is fueling much of the trend, with UT-Arlington reporting strong growth in high-need fields, such as nursing, education and science.

Amber Kenney, 18, of Fort Worth said she enrolled in UT-Arlington's nursing program because of its reasonable tuition, proximity to her home and its reputation. The Paschal High School graduate said she is a first-generation college student.

"It just seemed like this was a good choice for me," she said.

UT-Arlington has also stepped up efforts to keep students like Kenney in school. The university hired six advisers this year whose primary job is to contact first-year and transfer students and ensure that they know what courses to take and help them adjust, said Kristin Sullivan, assistant vice president for media relations.

While other industries have cut jobs and wages, TCU will offer merit-pay increases of 2 to 4 percent this year. Tarrant County College will provide 3.5 percent raises to full-time employees.

Still, Texas Woman's is freezing wages. And TCU Chancellor Victor Boschini Jr. asked department heads to cut 8 percent from their budgets, concentrating on areas such as travel, supplies, and other goods and services.

And the university, which typically tries to limit the size of its student body, admitted more students than usual to hedge its bets in a slow economy, officials said.

Apparently, there was no need to worry as 1,821 freshmen showed up. That's the largest freshman class ever at the private institution.

GENE TRAINOR, 817-390-7419

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