3 months ago
SACRAMENTO, CA -- While officials of the University of California contemplate fee hikes, and with other schools doing the same, it's becoming more apparent what impact their decisions will have on community colleges.
Wednesday the state announced that enrollment in community colleges is up 4%. Most of the increase comes from students who don't want to pay higher fees at universities and some can't even get into those universities because of enrollment caps.
"I'm so close (to graduating)," said junior Marissa Maygee. "But with the cutbacks, I'm really far away."
Maygee said most of her classmates are hoping to get into a local university. But some of them are just like her.
"I ended up being one of the people cut (from college)," she said.
Maygee had applied to Sacramento State and was admitted. She even scheduled her classes, but then the enrollment cap set in and she and many others were kicked out.
"You want to get done with your schooling and you want to move on," she said. "But you can't because you keep being put back and you can't get in the schools that you need to, and then your stuck at a junior college."
Which is why enrollment has increased more than 10% in the Los Rios Community College District.
Pair that with higher tuition at 4-year-instutitions and Chancellor Brice Harris says more and more students are looking for alternatives.
"We have more students than we've ever had and unfortunately less money, and that makes for that perfect storm," he said.
And that storm is lingering.
Enrollment is up so much, and money is so tight, even community colleges might turn students away.
"In our case we're currently running about 15% over that cap," he said. "So that means that every class of 20 students we have three students for whom we receive no state support."
Also, with less money comes less classes; so fewer students will get the education they need.
"If this situation doesn't get solved quickly I think you're going to see more and more students that aren't able to access higher education."
Which in the end comes right back to students like Marissa, who may find solutions, then take their money, out of California.
"I know quite a few students who are tempted to go out of state just to be able to get their education done," says Maygee.
Chancellor Harris believes the solution to this economic versus education battle is at least two or three years away.
While waiting he advises lawmakers to take a good, hard luck at the returns education can have in the long run.
Watch his entire interview which includes advice to students and parents on getting into and succeeding in college.
By Nick Monacelli
News10/KXTV
