HLSCC Records Highest Enrollment Since 2013
H. Lavity Stoutt Community College has recorded its highest student enrollment in over a decade, marking a nine percent increase from last year. College President Dr. Richard E. Georges announced the milestone alongside new degree offerings and a long-term vision to establish the Territory's first public university. The institution is framing the academic year under the strategic theme 'Time to T.H.R.I.V.E.'
Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) has achieved its highest student enrollment figures since 2013, marking a major milestone for higher education in the British Virgin Islands. The college experienced a nine per cent increase in registered students compared to Fall 2025, alongside an impressive 32 per cent overall growth over the past five years.
The announcement was delivered by HLSCC President Dr. Georges during his convocation address welcoming new and returning students for the 2026-2027 academic year. Highlighting the institution's recent momentum, Dr. Georges noted that HLSCC has outpaced broader regional and international trends, contrasting the college's numbers with United States higher education enrollment, which grew by roughly one per cent over the past year and ten per cent across five years.
The surge in enrollment coincides with the rollout of several new academic programmes designed to meet critical workforce demands in the Territory. Notably, the college launched its new Bachelor in Elementary Education, welcoming an inaugural cohort of ten aspiring local educators.
HLSCC has also introduced an Associate of Applied Science in Hospitality Management and continues to expand remote learning with an online cohort pursuing the Associate of Science in Disaster Management. In addition, officials are currently revising the General Education curriculum and preparing a proposal for a three-year Bachelor of Accounting degree.
The institution's focus for the year is structured around the theme 'Time to T.H.R.I.V.E.', which stands for six strategic priorities: transformational education, high-performance teams, revenue for impact, infrastructure investment, Virgin Islands value, and empowered by data. Georges stated that the institution remains committed to adapting and excelling despite external economic and environmental challenges.
He emphasized that these strategic priorities are laying the foundation to close a significant chapter in the college's history and advance its journey toward becoming the first public university in the British Virgin Islands.
Primary source: VINO