Student Demographics of LCSC
Use the narrative (it’s excellent) and replace the outdated numbers using LCSC Fast
Facts.
Lewis-Clark State College (LCSC), located in Lewiston, Idaho (North Central
Idaho) is a public undergraduate college founded in 1893. Fall Semester 2004, 3,325
students registered to attend LCSC. Two thousand and forty-four (2044) of the students
are females, 163 are Alaskan/Native Americans, 149 are Hispanic, 81% are firstgeneration, 37% are non-traditional, and 80% of our full-time students receive financial
aid assistance. Some students drive approximately 75 miles one-way, through a
mountainous region on inadequate, mountain roads to attend school.
Lewis-Clark State College (LCSC) seeks funding to implement a Title III
Strengthening Institutions Development Grant for a period of five years. [NEED]Survey
data indicates that LCSC faculty face significant challenges due to poor academic
preparation of a student body with little broad experience upon which to build a global
vision of life; many students have no family tradition of involvement with higher
education; a significant number are ill prepared for college. Many bring negative value
systems with them coming from a wide, rural, territory with poor telecommunication
systems, high unemployment, dying extractive industries, low educational achievement,
isolated populations, and two Native American populations with their attendant
challenges.
Student Body Characteristics
Student Body Characteristics, Fall 2004
Total Headcount
Total FTE
Total Full-Time
Total Part-Time
Total Males
Total Females
Resident Status
First Generation Attending College
Number receiving financial aid
Non-Traditional Students
Degree Seeking Students
Professional-Technical Degree Seeking Students
Academic Degree Seeking Students
3325
2635
2329
996
1281
2044
2974
1342
2776
1241
2917
762
2553
The number of students enrolled at LCSC has grown steadily in recent years. In
2001 our enrollment was 2,953, in 2002, it rose to 3,108, and in 2003 the total climbed to
3,471.
Presently we stand at 3325 students.
Student Body by Ethnicity
Non Resident Alien
Black Non-Hispanic
Alaskan/American Native
Asian/Pacific Islander
Hispanic
White Non-Hispanic
Ethnicity Unknown
Average Age is 28.
Division Enrollment by Declared Major
Academic Divisions
Business
Education
Humanities
Natural Sciences
Nursing
Social Sciences
Undeclared
Non Degree
Professional Technical Divisions
Business Technology & Service
Technical & Industrial
Non Degree
Many of the students coming to LCSC are ill prepared for college. Many have no
family tradition of involvement in higher education and have little broad experience with
which to construct a global vision of life. Many bring narrow, sometimes negative value
systems with them. They were raised in a rural area, isolated and are poorly prepared
academically for success in college, because most rural schools are poorly funded. They
are spread over a wide, rural, territory with poor telecommunications. Idaho ranks 46th in
the nation when comparing high school graduates continuing on to college immediately
after high school (National Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and
Analysis). Only 25% of the citizens of Idaho hold a Bachelors Degree or higher. Just
17% of Idaho 9-12 graders take at least one upper level science course; 41% take at least
98
14
163
27
149
2675
199
384
595
165
235
564
363
150
302
341
253
181
one upper level math course. Survey results from the Higher Education Research
Institute indicate that “colleges and universities need to find more effective ways to
accommodate the growing numbers of students who may be coming to college
academically under-prepared.” (1999 Survey Results, Higher Education Research
Institute, http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/) The 2004 retention rate at LCSC continues to
show improvement - 60% - up from 52.8% five years ago.
FROM A DIFFERENT GRANT
Student demographics
LCSC has both a high number and a high percentage of individuals who meet
eligibility requirements for need-based financial aid. They also meet the eligibility
requirements for access to subsidized childcare. The Financial Aid Office estimated that
there are 1115 independent students (out of a total enrollment of 3325 in FY04) who
meet the low-income criteria for Student Support Services (SSS), a federal TRIO
Program operating on campus. With a large need, limited resources, and decreasing
funds, it is nearly impossible for the college to meet the demand for support services,
including childcare, for its low-income student population.
The following table lists the number and percentages of low-income students at
Lewis-Clark State College.
NUMBER & PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ENROLLED OR ACCEPTED
Low-Income
First Generation
First Generation & Low-Income
Individuals With Disabilities
Disabled & Low-Income
Citizen Status
Need for Academic Support
Total Enrollment
Number
1551
2171
1396
170
155
3040
2637
3325
Percentage
47%
65%
42%
5%
4%
91%
85%
100%
Total Students Eligible for SSS Trio
Percent of Students receiving aid
Number of Pell Grants awarded to students
2482
80%
80%
1558
Of particular importance is the percentage of students (85%) who need some type
of academic support in order to be successful in school. It should also be noted that the
47% cited under low-income is based on full-time students only, who meet the lowincome SSS criteria. Students with small children are often at a disadvantage because
childcare is expensive. They choose not to take advantage of study groups and tutoring
because they can’t afford childcare services. Some individuals attending LCSC equate
financial aid with welfare, and will not accept it; often because of a rural ethic common
to the region. They would rather find a way to work their way through school than accept
“hand outs” from the government. They drop out of college because they can’t work
enough hours needed to support themselves and their families while attending school; or
they can’t keep their grades at an acceptable level. For students with children, childcare
can be the expense that breaks them when it comes to staying in school.
LCSC maintains a four-to-six-year graduation rate of 29.4% for a bachelor’s
degree. The retention rate for FY04 was 52.2%. This indicates that many of our nontraditional students with young children cannot complete their academic program within
four to six years, while trying to raise a family, work, and survive physically and
emotionally. Faced with the prospect of no financial resources, they become discouraged
and give up. Twenty-seven percent of our students are working and low-income.
The majority of LCSC students are from nearby rural communities or Indian
reservation lands (Nez Perce and Coeur d’Alene Tribal Lands) where under funded
public schools often do not adequately prepare students for college. Nearly 71% of
entering freshmen score at the bottom half and bottom quarter of their high school
graduating class. As indicated by the previous table, 65% of students are first generation
college attendees. Many of LCSC’s entering students score below national averages on
college entrance tests. This means they must work harder and remain in school longer,
than students who are prepared for college. Forty three percent of entering students at
LCSC need developmental English classes; 47% need developmental math; and 47%
need developmental reading classes, according to the admissions office.
Non traditional students make up a large segment of the campus population—
42.7%. More of these students are likely to enter college with families. A number of
them have been displaced from the work force. They need retraining to earn a living
wage with benefits. Many are attempting to break the cycle of underemployment that is
common in rural Idaho, where timber, mining, and agriculture industries were once the
dominant employers. A high number of these students have a General Education
Diploma (GED) background, limiting them to a minimum wage. Most of them have no
way to pay the burdensome cost of childcare services and school fees.
Many low-income students who seek retraining focus on workforce training at the
expense of vocational-technical programs or traditional academic schooling. While
childcare expenses continue to increase, their earning power does not.
The regional job market, formerly mining, timber and farming, leads to a high
number of disabled individuals who seek retraining through post-secondary education.
Childcare is especially beneficial to this segment of the student population.
LCSC has a significant number of ethnic minority students (177 Native
American; 115 Hispanic; 94 Non-resident aliens). Many of these students are nontraditional students with families, facing the challenge of soaring childcare expenses.
As with all institutions, student fees have increased at annual rate of 9% per year
due to the Idaho legislature’s decision to cut back on spending for higher education. In
1989 Idaho allocated 15.5% of their budget to higher education. In 2005, it’s down to
10.7%. This decrease in funding affects low-income students the most. From 1995 to
2005, students’ tuition and fees paid for 19.2% of the cost of their college education;
today students pay 31.6% of the cost. State funded higher education is becoming state
assisted in Idaho as in other regions of the country. From 1995-96 to 2003-2004, the
number of LCSC students on financial aid increased from 1735 to 2486. However in the
same years a substantial decrease in the percentage of college students on “need based
aid” demonstrated that fewer low income individuals are attending college (98% in 199596; and 80% in 2003-2004). Annual tuition and fees at LCSC are the lowest in the state
of Idaho for four-year institutions ($3,392), but many students cannot afford postsecondary education, or are not willing to take on the debt load needed to complete a
degree. In 2003-2004, 792 applicants or 25% of students qualified for full Pell grants.
LCSC is a commuter campus, where a majority of students live and work. Many drive
over 50 miles (one-way) in order to get to the campus. They live in the rugged, rural,
mountainous areas that typify North Central Idaho. For instance, the drive from Weippe
or Pierce near Orofino is a distance of over 70 miles one-way, and the elevation drops
from 3,020 feet above sea level to about 700 feet above sea level at LCSC in Lewiston,
Idaho. All this travel takes place on some of the most accident-prone, 2-lane state
highway (Highways 12 and 95), affectionately called the “goat trail” by Idahoans familiar
with the area.