The Community College of Baltimore County has a major challenge on its hands, but it seems to be taking the right steps to cope.

Enrollment in the various campuses of CCBC has jumped 14 percent in one year. The number of full-time students is up 19 percent.

The reason: The weak economy.

Pressures from joblessness are driving more people to community colleges, which are less expensive than four-year colleges and offer retraining opportunities for people whose careers have dead-ended.

Officials at CCBC confirm that the jump in enrollment reflects the difficult economic times.

"We do think the economy is driving it," said Hope Davis, CCBC's director of media relations.

CCBC is not alone. Community colleges in Carroll, Howard and Anne Arundel counties report enrollment jumps of 10 to 13 percent.

Students seeking a more affordable higher education and unemployed workers who want a new skill set are finding that paying $90 a credit hour (if you live in the county) is easier on the household pocketbook than $273 a credit hour, the fee for Marylanders at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Also, commuter-friendly community colleges, especially those with multiple campuses like CCBC, mean no housing fee.

CCBC deserves credit for being able to handle this sudden influx in a nimble way.

The college is already in the midst of reviewing its 10-year master plan, but was able to handle added students this fall by converting a lounge and a library space into classrooms in Catonsville, by using technology to track class size and room availability during registration and by hiring about 200 additional part-time instructors.

CCBC's increasing popularity as a source of higher education for those in Baltimore County must be a source of pride for members of the college staff. And rightly so.

But it's also a sign of the times, a thermometer that is taking the economy's temperature and finding it less than healthy.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, Gov. Martin O'Malley announced cuts in community college support as part of state budget reductions.

People seeking new or upgraded skills in our changing economy require affordable ways to get the training they need.

Community colleges are responding to that demand, and we hope legislators remember the importance of preserving this resource the next time the budget ax falls.

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