BUFFALO, NY — On Wednesday and Thursday, the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center hosts the Buffalo National College Fair, where hundreds of colleges nationwide are welcomed back after three years to talk to students about higher education.
The Buffalo National College Fair brings in anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000 students across Western New York, and the possibilities are not just limited to college campuses. The National Guard is looking for students who need help with the traditional higher education route.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, college enrollment stood at 66.2 percent, but just two years later, in 2021, only 61.8 percent were enrolled, a five percent decrease.
Some students here say the stress of choosing a college or failing a major is mounting, like 17-year-old Aryel Adamczak.
"I know a lot of people just drop out of college and their degree and what they want to be in, and it's very overwhelming," said Adamczak, a junior at Mount Mercy Academy.
The college fair runs Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.
David Coates, Co-Chair of the Buffalo National College Fair, says this opportunity shows students that colleges can provide them with a lot more than just a degree.
"The colleges that are here, they want kids, they will work with kids to get them here financially and academically and help them understand how the process works," said Coates.
You can register for the college fair here.
