Enrollment has grown again at Georgia Northwestern Technical College for the winter 2010 quarter.

According to preliminary data released by the college, there are 5,993 students enrolled this quarter, compared to 5,154 last year at pre-merger Coosa Valley Technical College and Northwestern Technical College. That’s an increase of 839, or 16 percent, and GNTC is only 19 students below their record-breaking fall 2009 enrollment.

GNTC has a campus in Walker County and is planning a campus in Catoosa County. The Catoosa campus is ex-pected to open in 2012.

“The continued struggling economy has certainly been a contributing factor,” said Stuart Phillips, vice president of student affairs at GNTC. “I also believe the variety of course offerings we have at GNTC has helped as well. Our commitment to offer programs that prepare students for the workforce is the ultimate factor.”

Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Floyd County campus has 2,362 students enrolled, 737 at the Gordon County campus, 280 at the Polk County campus, and 2,614 at the Walker County campus.

The college continues to see an increase in the number of students taking advantage of online classes. With ap-proximately 200 classes being offered online this quarter, GNTC has 2,321 students enrolled in at least one online class.

GNTC has 3,143 students enrolled full time and 2,850 enrolled part time.