Binghamton University continues to highlight its NY SUNY 2020 plan. One of the main proposals in that plan focuses on increasing student enrollment. Our Melissa Kakareka spoke with university officials to find out what the extra students will mean for the campus and the community.

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VESTAL, N.Y. -- More students will soon be on their way to the Binghamton University campus.

"Many universities have found themselves in places where they are popular or hot as some students or parents would say and we're on that right now. We are a very popular school," said BU President Harvey Stenger.

The university announced plans to increase student enrollment during their NY SUNY 2020 presentation in Albany earlier this week. Under the plan, 2,000 more students would be admitted across the university over the next five years at a rate of about 400 students per year. BU currently receives more than 30,000 applications for only 3,200 spots each year.

"With 32,000 applications for 3,200 positions, we clearly have an access problem and we really need to provide more access to a Binghamton education," said Provost of Academic Affairs Jean-Pierre Mileur.

School officials say the extra students will have a strong economic impact by creating more faculty positions at the university and strengthening the local economy.

"They are here, they are paying tuition, that brings revenue to the campus that allows us to hire the faculty and hire the staff. But also these students are going to be participating in the community, they are going to be shopping in the community, eating in the community, volunteering in the community," said Stenger.

The school will also be able to strengthen its curriculum and academic life.

"It will have a substantial impact on the community but it will raise the quality of the university and the range of things we are able to do to the next level. And that's really our goal to really move the campus that much farther along as a university," said Mileur.

Giving students even more reasons to fill out an application in the future.