Steamboat Springs — Enrollment is up again this year at Colorado Mountain College, according to preliminary enrollment numbers released following the third week of classes.

Collegewide enrollment has increased, particularly among Hispanic students age 18 and 19 and directly out of high school, and among full-time students from outside Colorado.

Enrollment is down slightly for CMC’s online classes.

At CMC’s Alpine Campus in Steamboat Springs, 1,555 students were enrolled in at least one class three weeks into the semester, compared to 1,445 students at the same time in fall of 2014.

The enrollment numbers are preliminary, as many classes have staggered start dates throughout a given semester, CMC officials said.

“Because we have many late-start and short courses, our official enrollment data won’t be available until after the end of the fall semester,” said Lin Stickler, CMC vice president of student affairs. “These preliminary data are a snapshot in time, and help us know how to adjust our focus to meet student needs.

Snapshot enrollment figures during the past 10 years have varied significantly but have risen overall from fall of 2005, when enrollment of 1,182 students was reported in Steamboat Today.

Collegewide, 108 freshman took advantage of the new President’s Scholarship, which offers $1,000 to all graduating high school seniors within the college’s service area.

Nine students took advantage of the scholarship to help with the cost of attending the Alpine Campus.

CMC officials attributed the enrollment increase to strategic initiatives implemented by staff, including the President’s Scholarship, a streamlined registration process, more involvement in Western Slope college fairs and a closer working relationship with local school districts on concurrent enrollment courses.

“It’s heartening to see that so many more students are discovering the unique gem that is CMC,” said Glenn Davis, president of the CMC board of trustees, in a news release.

To reach Teresa Ristow, call 970-871-4206, email tristow@SteamboatToday.com or follow her on Twitter @TeresaRistow