Recent news reports indicate fewer students are enrolled in Mississippi’s community colleges, including Copiah-Lincoln Community College’s campuses in Wesson and Natchez.

Officials say a falling unemployment rate along with harder-to-get federal aid are what likely have caused the decrease.

Regardless of the cause, the decreased enrollment is bad news for Mississippi and our community.

While the gap has narrowed in the last generation, most experts say those with a college education earn significantly more during their lifetime than those who hold only a high school diploma.

That is why it is heartening to see Natchez-area young people exposed to the opportunities offered by a college education.

This week, hundreds of Concordia Parish high school seniors spent time with 22 representatives from institutions of higher learning.

Professional recruiters were able to talk to the high school students about what their schools offer in terms of academic and technical majors, as well as answer questions about college life on their campuses.

College is expensive, and often students feel they need to begin earning money and paying their way as soon as possible. That feeling is understandable.

However, attending college right after high school graduation is likely the easiest time in a student’s life to enroll in college. And college offers so much more than a way to earn a good living. Often, the college experience allows young people to mature and learn more about how they want to spend the rest of their lives.

A college education is an investment that most often pays off for a student, his family and community.