With enrollment increases of more than 10 percent, the Vicksburg campus of Hinds Community College has helped the school set a new spring semester record.

More than 12,000 students have enrolled in courses for credit on the six Hinds campuses, the first time the school has reached that mark, spokesman Cathy Hayden said.

Locally, 812 students have signed up for academic and technical classes, an increase of nearly 80 students and 10.6 percent over the same date last year, said Vicksburg campus Dean Hilton Dyar.

“The economy is the biggest contributing factor,” Dyar said Tuesday. “Enrollment is up everywhere, at all the community colleges.”

Dyar said enrollment in academic courses has increased 12.6 percent and in technical courses, which include business technology, electric technology and the associate’s degree nursing program, 6.8 percent.

“These are the classes more directly related to the economy,” Dyar said of the technical offerings.

Overall, including high school students taking vocational courses and adults enrolled in GED-prep classes, the Vicksburg campus has registered 1,295 students, a 7.2 percent increase over 2010.

Hinds began its spring semester Jan. 11, after having to close the day before because of ice and sleet. Registration continued through the week.

The college has experienced steady enrollment increases on its campuses since fall 2007, Hayden said. Current credit enrollment compared to this time last spring is up more than 900 students, or 8.2 percent, across the six campuses.

The largest percentage increase is at the Jackson Campus-Academic/Technical Center, which grew nearly 20 percent this spring, Hayden said. The Sunset Drive campus has more than 2,500 credit college students.

Hinds Community College, along with the state’s other 14 two-year colleges, is also focusing on increasing the number of students who graduate.

Hinds’ academic year 2009-2010 graduates numbered 1,874, a 16 percent increase over the previous year. Hinds offers three chances each year for students to participate in a graduation ceremony – fall, spring and summer.