With more than 4,000 students signing up for spring-semester classes, JCC has exceeded its 2010 enrollment by 200, and the spring total dwarfs the 2,881 students from only four years ago.

"Some students had to wait in line, and class availability was limited," Pam Harrell, vice president of student services, said of registration day.

JCC spokeswoman Traci Ashley attributed the increase in enrollment to several factors. "Community colleges in general are serving as the beacon of hope for many individuals who have lost their jobs over the past few years," she said. "At the same time, many high school graduates and other first-time college students are choosing JCC over other four-year colleges and universities because it is affordable, close to home and offers more one-on-one interaction with instructors."

Ashley said JCC's low-cost tuition was its main lure. Students can take up to 16 credit hours - about five or six classes a semester - for less than $1,000. The cost of tuition at most four-year colleges is often three times that, she said.

But as enrollment grows, JCC must now search for ways to serve a growing student body.

"We have just about tapped our current classroom space on the main campus," said Dee Dee Daughtry, vice president of curriculum instruction. "What we will likely see in the future is more offerings at our off-campus sites, more night and weekend options and more fast-track courses."

This semester, JCC added about 35 sections of academic courses to accommodate the enrollment surge, Ashley said. JCC also added curriculum courses at its Cleveland Center, which had hosted only continuing-education and compensatory-education classes.

But if class sizes begin to swell, the college will seek funding for expansion, Ashley said. "While we realize the economy is still rebounding, the bottom line is we simply cannot continue to grow without resources to support growth and still provide the quality education experience for students that we have in the past," she said.

Until more building dollars are available, JCC will have to become more creative in how it uses its existing space, Ashley said.