The beginning of a new era for Flathead Valley Community College is nearly upon us, with the announcement last week that FVCC plans to have student housing available on campus by 2017.

That is quite a remarkable story of progress from the days when the college opened in some old, ramshackle buildings and basements in downtown Kalispell in 1967.

Back then the goal was to get more students to consider higher education for their own betterment. These days higher education has become the standard for high school graduates, who have many more options available.

One of the best choices though, from both an economic and educational standpoint, is FVCC, and the constant improvement of the college through the decades, including its move to the current campus in 1990, has worked for the betterment of the community itself.

Admittedly, for many of us, the idea of a dormitory or student housing on a community college campus is a foreign idea. In urban areas, where there are multiple colleges and universities, the idea of a commuter college is a perfect fit.

But Kalispell is relatively remote from other institutions of higher learning, and it makes perfect sense that the college would serve its student body more capably by ensuring that housing is available through something other than a campus bulletin board.

Once again, Flathead Valley Community College is responding to an urgent need in the community by thinking outside the box. It’s no secret that housing costs in the Flathead Valley have outpaced the paychecks of lower-income families, and for college students the situation can be even worse.

School officials have said that the project, which could cost as much as $9.5 million, will be self-sustaining and will not put the pinch on local taxpayers. Given the need for affordable housing, this could prove to be a great deal for the college, its students and the surrounding community.