8,000 on Wait List at Utah Technical Colleges

Utah’s technical colleges can’t keep up with demand for their programs.

According to data that the Utah System of Higher Education released last week, 8,055 people—5,634 adults and 2,421 high schoolers interested in a mix of full- and part-time coursework—are on wait lists across the state’s 11 technical colleges. While some lawmakers have praised technical college as an affordable, relatively quick path toward a stable career, budget constraints have made it difficult for them to expand their offerings to meet the increased demand. 

Compared to traditional colleges, technical colleges collect less money from students in tuition and fees and receive less money from the state. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, “One Utah technical college president previously told the Legislature that his school simply didn’t have any more desks to put students in—even as they offered classes around the clock each day.”

To help the colleges meet the high demand, the Utah Legislature passed Senate Bill 216 earlier this year. Among other measures, it establishes a new formula for calculating capacity that would allow tech schools to get more money based on their enrollment—around $7 million this year, officials estimate. The state Board of Higher Education is also permitting each college to increase tuition by up to a 6.2 percent starting next fall, which could generate as much as $1.4 million in additional revenue.