SUNY Chancellor John King continued his tour of New York campuses Wednesday with a stop at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica. His visit came as community college enrollment continues to struggle across the state.

Last year, 159,333 students enrolled in state community colleges, compared to 243,007 students that were enrolled in 2012, according to SUNY’s website.

Of course, COVID is believed to have played a role in the decline.

Still, at some schools, such as Onondaga Community College, there are recent signs that things may be heading upward.

“We had a 2% increase in overall enrollment. That was the first increase in many years here. And we're very encouraged by that," Onondaga Community College President Warren Hilton said.

At Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, King said he has ideas he believes will help boost enrollment.

“We've got to make sure that working adults know that there are great programs for them that can help them advance in their careers at community colleges," King said. "We've got 2 million New Yorkers who have some credits and no degree. We've got to make sure they come back to SUNY to complete those degrees."

King said community colleges need to offer more programs that match students’ interests.

“We have to make sure that our community colleges and at our four years that we're responding to regional economic development needs, that students are finding programs that they're excited about, that match their interest and we're preparing students not only for jobs, but for citizenships," King said.

Asked if tuition should be lowered or changed, King said he is advocating for more investment in public higher education because there’s such a high return on investment.

“Every dollar that's invested in students at SUNY turns into many returns in the state's economy,” he said.

King pointed to funding proposals from the governor to help support community colleges and four-year campuses. Lawmakers continue to question if what is proposed will be enough to offset multi-million-dollar deficits plaguing several campuses.

King added that there is a demand for programs at community colleges involving health care, cybersecurity, the semiconductor field and cannabis.