CHICAGO  — When Amar Bhatia was weighing his postsecondary options, he chose Indiana University over DePaul University because DePaul’s downtown Chicago campus was just too close to Mom and Dad.

Now, as a sophomore, he’s even closer _ at Harper Community College, a five-minute drive from his Palatine, Ill., home. “It’s like being a senior all over again,” said the 2008 Fremd High School graduate.

Bhatia, 19, is part of a growing pool of students called “reverse transfers.” Rather than use community colleges as a launching pad, these young adults are going the other way.

As the recession grinds on, prestige has taken a back seat to affordability.Sky-rocketing university tuition, along with more reluctance to take on huge loans (especially if grades are less than stellar or your major is “undecided”) has spurred students to reconsider an alternative they once dismissed.

Although recent statistics aren’t available, officials say there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that this group has contributed to the overall record enrollments currently being seen at community colleges nationwide.

“This is a direct response to last fall when the economy imploded,” explained Steve Morse, spokesman of the Illinois Community College Board, referring to the rise in “reverse-transfers.”

Along with Harper, a number of other area community colleges _ Oakton in Des Plaines, Moraine Valley in Palos Hills, Prairie State in Chicago Heights and Joliet _ all report an uptick in students making a U-turn.

Oakton officials said that this semester’s crop of students have transferred from some highly selective schools, including University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (25 students) and Northwestern University (15).

Finances certainly figured heavily into Bhatia’s decision not to return to Indiana, with its picturesque limestone buildings, Big 10 sports teams and vibrant campus life.The business major finished freshman year with a solid B average _ good, but not good enough to qualify for scholarships.

Then, both his parents lost jobs _ his mom was at Allstate Insurance, his dad, a self-employed consultant, hadn’t snagged a new project in months.

Ultimately, they left the choice up to him.

But weighing the annual costs ($40,000 for out-of-state tuition and room and board vs. $3,100) pushed him to Harper, where enrollment among 19- to 24-year-olds jumped 5.2 percent this semester.

Back in high school, the kids who stayed close to home weren’t really in his crowd, Bhatia said. “But now I’d call it one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Community colleges have long been seen as the last resort for those with limited resources _ whether academic or financial.

The downturn, though, has chipped away at the stigma.

Last year, some 70 percent of high schools reported an increase in the number of students who jettisoned their “dream schools” for more budget-conscious choices, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

• Bonnie Miller Rubin