Some college students who want to go to a four-year college simply can’t afford the rising tuition costs. Others want a marketable skill that doesn’t require a four-year degree. This is why many choose to go to two-year colleges like Bowling Green Technical College.

The local technical college is one of the fastest-growing colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. In the past five years, it has more than doubled its enrollment. As of November 2007, the school boasted an enrollment of 5,025 students.

This is quite an impressive enrollment for a two-year college and these numbers show that this institution is obviously doing something right.

A lot of the reasons BGTC is one of the fastest growing in the state is because the cost of attending it is less expensive than schools like Western Kentucky University.

Twelve semester hours at the technical college cost around $1,800 compared to the same hours at Western for about $1,600 more.

For BGTC students like Monica Simmons of Chalybeate, BGTC was a nice alternative because of the high costs of tuition at Western.

“I can’t personally afford WKU,” Simmons said. “If Western was the only college in Bowling Green, I wouldn’t be able to attend college.”

Simmons’ words probably ring true for a lot of students who might want to attend a four-year college, but may not have the financial means to do so.

For others, BGTC may offer a more flexible schedule for people who have jobs or have children. It also may be a more comfortable environment for some nontraditional students.

It is important that schools like BGTC exist so that everyone wanting to go to college, regardless of their circumstances, have the opportunity to do so.