Kimberly Watson has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, but she’s back in school — pursuing a degree in nursing at Hinds Community College in Vicksburg.

“RNs are in demand,” said Watson, 24, who is in her sophomore year at Hinds. She returned to college after graduating from Jackson State in the spring of 2010, she said, because of the lack of jobs in the business sector.

“I’m just excited to learn something new,” she said Monday, the first day of classes for Hinds. “It’s hard to find a job after college right now.”

Watson is one of many people heading back to the classroom due to the suffering economy — a factor in a steady enrollment rise for Hinds’ six campuses, said Hilton Dyar, dean of the Vicksburg location on Mississippi 27.

“The fact is,” Dyar said, “there are not a lot of jobs out there right now. With the economy the way it is, people are coming back to Hinds to gain skills to make them marketable.”

Unemployment in Warren County was at 11.9 percent in June, the latest figure available. Statewide figures for June were at 11 percent. The national rate was 9.2 percent.

The availability of federal assistance also is attracting students, Dyar said, and about 75 percent of those at Hinds receive aid.

“With financial aid that’s available, it’s not really costing them anything to go to school,” he said. “Hinds disburses between $30 million and $40 million per semester.”

Fall 2011 enrollment for Hinds’ six campuses, including high school, GED-prep and work-force development students, is 16,551, or 7.5 percent more than the 15,403 who registered in fall 2010. College-credit students total 12,591, up 0.9 percent from 12,475.

In fall 2010, Hinds enrolled 69 students with two or more degrees. This semester’s figures were not available.

“I think it’s a step forward,” Dyar said. “You’ve obviously demonstrated a certain amount of knowledge or expertise by earning that degree. That’s just going to add to or enhance what you get at this level.”

In Vicksburg, 993 students had enrolled by Monday — 3.1 percent more than the 963 in fall 2010. College-credit students totaled 816, or 2.8 percent more than the 794 the previous fall.

Hinds’ main campus at Raymond registered 8,123 students, a 16 percent increase over the 7,002 enrolled in fall 2010.

The Utica campus grew by 13.8 percent from 810 students in fall 2010 to 922 this semester, while the Jackson Academic/Technical Center increased 1.4 percent, to 2,728 this semester from 2,691 last fall.

The Rankin campus and Nursing/Allied Health Center each saw slight decreases in enrollment, 1.7 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively.

“These will change all week with late registration going on,” said Hinds public relations director Cathy Hayden.

Freshman Dylan Dement chose to enroll at Hinds in Vicksburg because it is “close to home.”

“It’s only a five-minute drive,” he said Monday as campus bookstore manager Amanda Boland helped him pick out textbooks.

“The bookstore doesn’t open until the first day of school,” Boland said. “We’re just making sure everyone goes to class first before they get their book.”