Whittier

Enrollment at Rio Hondo Community College is up by 615 students this fall, a dramatic turnaround from a year ago when officials believe the state’s first-ever tuition at two-year colleges contributed to an enrollment drop of 14% at the school.

As of Sept. 23, enrollment at Rio Hondo was 11,396, said campus spokeswoman Pamela J. Cox. Last fall, 10,781 students enrolled, the smallest turnout in five years, and nearly 2,000 less than fall, 1983.

To bolster student rolls this year, Rio Hondo advertised more widely about course offerings and registration dates. At the same time, officials believe students have accepted the new fees--$50 for six units or more.

“There’s no question some students were wary of the fees and decided to stay away last year,” Cox said. “But now they realize it’s still far cheaper than some technical schools or four-year institutions.”