Watching Community College Costs Climb Out of Reach

That was me on the front page with President Clinton the day after his visit to Valley College a few weeks ago, looking happier than I feel about the financial condition of higher education in California.

It isn’t just that the President’s talk didn’t give us students--chosen to talk to him--the reassurances about the rising school costs that we had hoped for. The big problem is that California’s two-year colleges, which have been so good for me, could be priced out of reach for many of us. My first year at Valley College in Van Nuys began in the fall of 1991, when I was 27. It cost me $50 to take as many classes as I wanted to.

I think I racked up 23 units that semester, in classes from sewing to acting to English lit. I loved school. My second and third semesters were the same. I was able to check out subjects I was curious about.

This spring, fees rose to $10 a unit, with no ceiling. I was forced to take exactly what I needed in order to graduate, no more. That was a bummer. I had wanted to look into a nutrition class, sociology and philosophy.

I went from paying an affordable $50 to struggling to pay $190. With the new mandatory health fee, the mandatory student union fees and parking, the total was $231, plus $168 for books.

I work part time during school, making about $1,000 a month, so even though the fee increase hurt, there wasn’t any doubt that somehow I’d come up with the money. And I did--bye-bye, cable.

But some less fortunate students dropped out when the fees went from a $50 maximum to a flat $10 a unit and, for people with bachelor’s degrees, $50 a unit. They couldn’t or wouldn’t take the hit. They’re the ones we should be most worried about.

At Valley College, 18,000 students, about 1,000 fewer than a year earlier, were enrolled this spring. A lot of the dropouts were older students with BAs, according to college officials. Some of them walked away from the table at registration when they learned about the increases.

Valley College is taking budget hits with the rest of California education. This fall, about 160 fewer courses will be offered than last fall, a drop of a little more than 10%. If there were the huge fee increases originally proposed by Gov. Pete Wilson, it wouldn’t be many years before the drop in enrollment cost the college major tuition income. Some top officials have envisioned a 20% or 30% enrollment decline.

Currently, it looks as if the governor’s proposals--for example, tripling ordinary tuition to $30 a unit--won’t happen.

The Assembly and Senate are looking at $13 and $15 a unit, respectively. But college officials predict rough sledding in years to come. I hope the legislators stay committed to affordable community colleges. They are extremely important.

California has more than one-fourth of all the community college students in the United States. We’ve always been open and affordable and offered a high-quality education. Now, the system looks like it’s crumbling.

The solution would be to start with a rearranging of priorities by the state Legislature. Best would be reduced fees and a proper level of funding, but realistically the money is just not there.

I have graduated, so I won’t be affected. But if I were several years younger and living on my own for the first time, as are many Valley College students, I imagine I would join the dropouts if some of the higher fees come along.

I’m going to UCLA. They say just 2,400 of 30,000 applicants were accepted, and I have the community college system to thank for putting me among the chosen few.

Valley College gave me a new lease on life, and I can only hope and pray that it stays around for years to do the same for others.