Students at Angelina College have received more than $1 million in federal financial aid this year over and above years past, enabling more students to take higher education classes, according to the student financial aid director Sue Jones.

The optimistic numbers came as part of a report given during the college's Board of Trustees regular session on Monday evening.

"More students have made the decision this year to come to college because they have more money in hand," Jones said. "We are in a better spot now than we were last year, because financial aid has gone up considerably at both the state and federal levels."

This year, Angelina College students received $5,563,230 in federal financial aid, close to $1 million more than the previous year. The funds increased at the Texas grant level as well, with total aid for 2008-2009 adding up to more than $6.4 million for students, with all aid packages and scholarships considered.

Angelina College increased its own scholarship contributions to students by several thousand dollars, Jones reported.

"We've significantly increased our scholarship awards this past year," Jones said. "We want to invite as many good students as we can to the school."

Overall, according to preliminary numbers, about 66 percent of students at Angelina College have received some form of financial aid in the past year, with about 51 percent having paid nothing at all for tuition after receiving aid.

The school's record registration numbers for the fall semester are expected to continue into next semester as well, with officials saying more than 1,100 students have already pre-registered for the spring, which should climb to anywhere from 3,000 to 3,500 students by Christmas.

In other business, the board reviewed plans to expand the student parking lot, located near the Activity Center on FM 819. Plans include adding 177 parking spots to the lot.

Angelina College President Larry Phillips said he made sure the construction plans were as non-invasive as possible to the surrounding environment, with the current design having salvaged several oak and pine trees that would have otherwise been cut down.

The board plans to solicit bids for the project as early as next week. A bid for the project in 2003 put the parking lot expansion at about $430,000, Phillips said, although he predicts the college might receive a lower amount now, six years later.

The new parking lot could be finished and ready as early as next summer, if all goes according to plan, he said.

The board voted to hire a new financial aid specialist Jorge Valdes, Jr., who received his bachelor's degree from Stephen F. Austin State University. Valdes will begin work at the school's financial aid office this week.