CANTON -- For the fourth consecutive year, SUNY Canton has seen an enrollment increase for its online summer session.

Enrollments have increased at an average rate of approximately 100 each year since 2013. The college now has 1,966 enrollments for summer 2017, according to a press release from the college..

The success is due to SUNY Canton's strong reputation for excellence in distance learning, as well as the variety of courses offered, according to Molly A. Mott, associate provost and dean of academic support services and instructional technologies. She noted that the college's Winterterm session has also seen dramatic growth since 2013.

"We have invested a significant amount of time and resources into developing our online courses, and the overwhelming popularity of our off-term sessions is a direct result of that investment," Mott said.

This summer, more than 130 courses were offered in a range of topics, including art, management, law, economics and history.

The summer session, which runs from June 1 to Aug. 15, is open to anyone.

"We give students the opportunity to earn credit in the area of their choice in between traditional spring and fall semesters," Mott said. She said credits are easily transferable and can help students “catch up, graduate early or satisfy prerequisites for their major."

It also will allow New York State students to meet the 30-credit requirement to qualify for the Excelsior Scholarship Program, which begins this fall, she said.