There was a time when college campuses bore an uncanny resemblance to ghost towns during summer vacation. Once school was out, you could be sure that most of the students and faculty fled to greener pastures.

In these tough economic times, school administrators are attempting to milk the potential cash cow that is college summer vacation. They have taken the opportunity to fill the void with enrichment workshops, for-credit courses, day camps, parties, conferences, and even film shoots during the summer months. They reason if students aren’t present to take advantage of school facilities, they might as well rent out their campuses!

For instance, at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, administrators were able to bring in two summer camps that are going to pay for the use of the college’s facilities. At Monmouth University in New Jersey, the university even rented out part of its campus to a bridal-wear catalogue for a photo shoot! Their popular Police Explorer training program is back for another summer, which serves as an introduction Monmouth’s criminal justice programs.

“The overall landscape now is one in which you’ve got to become leaner and meaner and more competitive, and that means trying to find more sources of revenue,” said Tim Kelly, a college spokesman. “Summer is an important piece of the puzzle.”

Aside from reeling in some extra cash, a busier campus has proved to be an important benefit from a marketing standpoint. For the students who use their summer vacation time to scope out potential colleges, an empty campus makes a bad impression. Students and their families respond better to campus tours when the college quad is vibrant and busy. Plus, a student who attends a summer camp that is hosted on a college campus is more likely to remember that school when they are considering their education options.

For colleges whose endowment has taken a hit, summer has turned into quite the profitable season!