CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Over 9,000 Charlotte-Mecklenburg students graduated from high school for the 2022-23 academic year.
Although a number of those students are preparing to attend a college or university, studies show more students are opting out of enrolling in a four-year institution altogether.
BestColleges reports since 2010 college student enrollment has been on a decline.
Its data also says enrollment has dropped by nearly 1.9 million students between fall 2012 to fall 2022.
The factors listed for impacting the amount of students attempting college include rising tuition costs and the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some students in our area say they're choosing to not attend a college or university because there are other options, bringing them steps closer to their career dreams.
Michael Yarmakovich, 16, who lives in Charlotte, was home schooled.
After receiving his diploma, he began weighing his options, which included entering the workforce or going the traditional path to college.
"I was considering going to a normal college and getting my degree," he said.
Yarmakovich says for him, going to four-year institution just wasn't his path.
"Take a career path that would take me where I'm going, [so I decided on] aviation," Yarmakovich said.
He says costs also played a part with his decision.
"This was significantly cheaper than what I was trying to do," he said.
Yarmakovich says in the end, it was his sister who helped him determine his next step. She had already been enrolled at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance.
"She was telling me how hands-on it is, and that made me want to come here," Yarmakovich said.
Yarmakovich has been attending the Aviation Institute of Maintenance for two months and has 19 months left before completion.
He says the school is teaching him the skills he needs to one day become an aviation maintenance technician.
Yarmakovich hopes any high school student who hears his story will choose the path best suited for their life.
"Take the chances and go out and do it because in the future you'll never regret it," he said.
Anyone with a high school diploma or GED is eligible to attend the Aviation Institute of Maintenance.
The Aviation Institute of Maintenance just announced a partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for a new dual enrollment program.
Students will get aviation maintenance training while still in high school. This training comes at no cost to the high schooler.
"A student will be able to take their first four of 17 courses here while they are in high school," said Alex Diaz, campus executive director for the school. "It will save them a lot of money and save them six months of the 21-month time frame. So instead of graduating high school and going for 21 months, they'll actually be able to go for 15, so in less than a year and a half after high school, they'll already be able to sit for the FAA exam for their certification."