School 'very pleased,' official says

Christina Haff of Youngsville, right, chats with other SUNY Sullivan students in the hallway between classes Wednesday at the college in Loch Sheldrake.DOMINICK FIORILLE/ Times Herald-Record

By Leonard Sparks

Published: 2:00 AM - 06/06/13 Last updated: 7:18 AM - 06/06/13

LOCH SHELDRAKE Ashley Boothe, Cassandra Engelmann and Marcy Piatek sat around a courtyard table outside SUNY Sullivan's B building, enjoying a sun-filled respite before facing the challenges of a Wednesday afternoon microbiology class.

Their kinship went beyond being classmates and sharing the goal of earning a nursing degree. Each said the decision to dip into their personal funds to enroll in the four-credit class was made easier after the college slashed summer tuition in half for in-state students.

"Otherwise I would be looking at $700," said Piatek, who lives in Liberty.

Students such as Boothe, Engelmann and Piatek are making SUNY Sullivan's campus busier this summer as part of a surge in enrollment, in response to the school's announcement in March to set tuition at $87 a credit instead of $174.

Registration for the first and second summer sessions totaled 285 students, compared with 148 students last year, and the equivalent of 89 full-time students instead of 40.

Enrollment should rise even more before the second session starts June 24, said Cindy Kashan, vice president for institutional enrollment and enrollment management.

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SUNY Sullivan's lower tuition attracts students