Enrollment in the Technical College System of Georgia is up 26 percent since last year, an increase of 22,000 students, the system announced today.

There are now a total of 109,548 students in the state’s 28 technical colleges. That’s the It’s the system’s largest winter attendance ever and the second consecutive quarter with six-digit enrollment, following the all-time record of 110,940 students that was set last fall.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College announced last month that preliminary data showed 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.

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, according to the preliminary data.

Statewide, enrollment was especially up for adults ages 36 and older. Enrollment increased by 40 percent for those 36-40, and by 43 percent for those older than 40.

“The Technical College System of Georgia is again proving its immense value to the people of Georgia as the education resource for anyone who wants to gain the kinds of skills and knowledge that result in great careers, even in today’s difficult economy,” said Commissioner Ron Jackson. “Everyone, from recent high school graduates to Georgians looking to retrain and retool for new jobs, enjoy equal access to some of the best technical college pro-grams in the country. It’s a great education at a low tuition that’s made all the more affordable by easy access to college grants.”