Beaufort County Community College has seen a substantial decrease in enrollment for the fall semester.

According to a press release, the college has 1,607 students enrolled in curriculum programs, as compared to last year’s 2,029 students. The numbers for short-term training courses are expected to stay the same or possibly increase.

The decrease in enrollment is largely due to BCCC’s decision in March to stop participating in the Federal Direct Student Loan program as of July 1, as well as a changing economy and college-age demographics, the release stated.

According to the release, a large number of students borrowed more than they could afford to pay back and defaulted on the loans, and colleges that have a high default rate risk losing other types of financial aid.

This prompted the Board of Trustee’s decision to stop accepting these loans, which led to disapproving outcry from many members of the community.

The default rate is determined by the percentage of students who cannot repay loans, and colleges begin to see consequences if that rate reaches 30 percent. As of the March decision, BCCC’s default rate had risen to 29.1 percent.

In fall 2014, 604 students were participating in the student loan program, but 408 of those students did not return for the fall 2015 semester, the release stated.

“BCCC’s staff is doing everything it can to make sure that every student who wishes to attend is able to get enrolled and registered. We are also working to provide some form of financial assistance to those who need it, whether it’s in the form of financial aid, scholarships or emergency grants,” said Jules Norwood, public relations coordinator at BCCC, in an email.

“I would encourage any student who needs help, either with the admission and enrollment process or financially, to speak with someone in our registration or financial aid offices.”

The Federal Direct Student Loan program involves low-interest loans provided by the United States Department of Education. The loans are designed to help students with paying for college.

“The mission of BCCC is to meet the educational needs of our citizens and to train workers for the available jobs in our service area,” BCCC President Dr. Barbara Tansey said in the press release. “That means we are working constantly to make sure the college is the right size for our community and offers the right programs and services to meet its needs.”