CENTRALIA, IL — Community colleges continue to increase in enrollment after a decline during the pandemic. With more and more students electing to take classes at their local institutions, Kaskaskia College (KC) is emphasizing the importance of registering as early as possible for the fall 2025 semester. Students can register now, and for those late summer sign-ups, KC is hosting its annual Saturday registration day Aug. 9.

KC Student Outreach Coordinator Carrie Hancock said registering at KC is easy and can be done in a variety of different ways. Students can visit KC’s main campus, KC’s Education Centers in Greenville, Vandalia, or Trenton, or the Crisp Manufacturing and Trades Center, any day KC is open during the summer and register. Students can also attend the Saturday registration day at KC’s main campus or the three listed Education Centers. The Crisp Center will not be open for the Saturday registration day.

The Crisp Manufacturing and Trades Center houses KC’s four skilled trade programs, HVAC, Carpentry, Industrial Technology and Welding. The Education Centers offer a variety of different classes, which you can find here.

“People started signing up for classes back in March, and some of the general education courses in math, English, social sciences and psychology tend to fill up quickly,” Hancock said. “That’s why it’s important to register for classes as soon as possible. The nice thing about the process at KC is we have all our departments in one centralized location, and you don’t have to travel all over campus to find the registration materials and departments you need. You can also apply for admission and be processed within 24 hours. After that, it’s smooth sailing.”

KC is also offering four new certificates in the fall of 2025, including Precision Agriculture, Manufacturing Technology, Construction Scheduling and Construction Estimating. With KC being in the heart of a farming community, keeping up to date with agricultural technology is crucial for anyone following a career path in the industry. The Precision Ag program will cover innovative farming technology like autosteering systems, drones and yield monitors.

The Construction Scheduling and Estimating certificates provide training on how to operate the many moving parts of a construction site, from calculating the amount of materials needed, the amount of workers required, how long it will take each section of the job to be completed and much more.

The Manufacturing Technology certificate is great for any person looking to upgrade their skills, explore the industry or take that first step toward making a career change. Classes cover a wide variety of topics including safety, mathematics and processes.

“Kaskaskia College excels in offering certificates that translate into the real world and that make you more employable,” KC Dean of Enrollment Services Staci Palm said. “We’ve already seen students having an interest in these new programs, and we highly recommend registering for these classes if you’re thinking about a career in agriculture, manufacturing or construction management.”

Registering over email is also possible by contacting the advising office. For Kaskaskia College admissions inquiries via email, you can reach out to kcadmissions@kaskaskia.edu. For more information on admissions, you can also contact them by phone at 618-545-3040.

Kaskaskia College is a public community college in Centralia, Illinois, within South Central Illinois District 501, serving all or part of nine counties, including Bond, Clinton, Fayette, Marion, Washington, Jefferson, St. Clair, Madison, and Montgomery. Committed to making education accessible, Kaskaskia College offers training programs at the Centralia Crisp Manufacturing and Trades Center and has education centers in Greenville, Nashville, Salem, Trenton, and Vandalia, Illinois. The Higher Learning Commission accredits the college, which offers a broad spectrum of degrees, programs, and certification options, specializing in 2-year associate degrees and trade school programs. Founded in 1940, Kaskaskia College was the first Class I Community College established in Illinois.