NORMAL - Illinois State University may be home to 20,000 students during the school year, but summer doesn't mean the place becomes a ghost town.

Thousands of summer-school students, camp participants and event attendees keep the Normal campus busy.

ISU's residence halls have a capacity of 6,500 occupants - and at varying times throughout summer most spots are taken, said Jamie Anderson of the campus housing office.

Summer isn't a break from classes for everyone: Roughly 5,000 students have enrolled for summer courses, said Danielle Lindsey of ISU's provost's office.

"We've promoted the summer session even more in the last few years with the state's four-year tuition guarantee," said Mardell Wilson, ISU assistant provost. With tuition guaranteed not to increase during a student's four years on campus, there is an incentive to make the most of that time.

Not all summer school students choose to live in dorms, but there's plenty more going on to fill the halls.

About 6,000 visitors trickle in throughout the summer for Preview, ISU's two-day orientation program required of incoming freshmen. About half are freshmen, and the rest are guests, said Nathaniel Haywood, Preview's assistant office manager.

Various camps and events bring crowds too. During this week's Illinois Special Olympics, for example, about 5,000 people stay in ISU dorms. And Music for All (formerly Bands of America) arrives June 20 for a week of activities that bring nearly 2,000 musicians to stay in the halls, said Deb Wylie, of ISU's Extended University office.

ISU's campus also is busy with its various sports and other summer camps, such as ones focusing on debate, Shakespearean drama and the Gamma Phi Circus. Those bring nearly 7,000 participants to campus, said Wylie.

Some travel a distance, she said. "We get calls from Chicago and other regional areas too," she said.

And ISU's College for Youth brings about 450 kids to campus each summer.

Heartland Community College, just a few blocks north of ISU, also keeps a busy summer schedule.

Nearly 2,900 students enrolled for eight-week college-credit classes, which began Monday. That's nearly 15 percent more than last summer, said Janet Hill-Getz, Heartland spokeswoman.

Heartland also welcomes summer guests for community education programs - more than 1,550 have signed up, said Gary Taylor, the college's dean of corporate and community education

Of those, 970 are youth signed up for the campus Youth Enrichment Program camps, a record enrollment, he said.