Applicants say they’ll ‘find a way’ to pay for education

Some high school seniors applying to college count on luck, scholarships to afford school.COSTA MESA -- It was another tough year for people struggling to afford college tuition, but there were no signs of discouragement in this drab Westside office -- even though most of the students present could barely afford last year’s fees, let alone the latest increase.

At the Save Our Youth center, which provides tutoring and financial aid for Newport-Mesa students, computers hummed and college applications lay around the tables Monday evening. The deadline for applying to University of California and California State University campuses was two days away, and student fees had gone up once again at both.

Still, most of the students who filled the center had set their sights on half a dozen colleges and universities -- and they were counting on luck and scholarships to help pull them through.

“Us Latino students, most of us have big families and it’s hard paying for college,” said Laura Leon, 17, a senior at Estancia High School. “To us, it’s a lot of money.”

“We find a way,” interjected Costa Mesa High School senior Jose Gomez, 17, sitting on the floor in the corner.

Laura continued: “But despite all that, we’re looking forward to attending because we know we can.”

Midnight is the deadline for applications to UC and CSU schools -- and it remains to be seen how many forms will land in the inbox. Over the last five years, undergraduate student fees have risen sharply in both systems, the result of state funding cuts and a need to offer competitive salaries. For the 2006-07 academic year, the fees will be nearly double what they were half a decade ago.

Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a compact with UC President Robert Dynes and CSU Chancellor Charles Reed, promising to boost state funding and increase enrollment for both systems. As a result of the deal, however, tuitions have risen further -- by 14% last year, and 8% this year and the next. Afterward, fees may continue to increase by as much as 10% annually.

It’s unclear whether higher costs have a major effect on the number of students applying to either system. When CSU doubled its student fees in the early- to mid-1990s, enrollment fell by about 10%, but rebounded later in the decade even as tuition remained constant. Last year, with costs inflating, UC suffered a 4.1% drop in freshman admissions, but saw the number rise by 2.8% this fall.

Officials at UC Irvine said they were not concerned about an enrollment drop next fall, although no data will be available until after the window closes tonight. This month, the UC governing board approved a $6-million increase in financial aid grants.

“The fee increases were communicated early in the cycle, so students had the opportunity to be aware that was coming,” said Marguerite Bonous-Hammarth, undergraduate admissions director at UCI. “Even with the increases, UC is still very affordable given the grants that will cover financial aid.

“I think students will weigh all those options and realize that this is an opportunity to enroll at a premier research university.”

None of the counselors at the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s four major high schools reported a drop-off in students applying to UC or CSU campuses. Becky Carey, a counselor at Newport Harbor High School, said most seniors were submitting forms to eight or 10 universities -- although many also mixed in community colleges as a safeguard.

The tuition hikes have led to a fair amount of friction at the universities, however; students and politicians have protested the costs. The University of California Student Assn. protested outside the UC governing board’s meeting Nov. 17, calling for an end to fee increases, and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez also implored the board to reconsider its plans.

“I’d imagine all the students are against it, because it’s coming out of their pockets,” said Alex Moon, 21, a fourth-year economics major at UCI.

Next fall, undergraduate tuition for an average full-time student will be $492 more in the UC system and $204 more at CSU. Still, the graduating seniors at Save Our Youth may have just enough tools to get through. Participants at the center, which opened a decade ago to help at-risk students, win money for getting good grades, and receive an additional check upon graduation to pay for college.

“There’s all this free money out there if you apply to it,” said Edgar Mendoza, 17, a senior at Costa Mesa High School.

Jose, who wants to be a doctor, said he was looking forward to the application process being over. He had applied to no UC campuses by Monday but a half a dozen CSU schools.

“It’ll be a big relief,” he said, “but at the same time, we’ll be worrying about, ‘Did they accept me?’”

Undergraduate tuition at UC and CSU schools