Community College Bill Would Boost Some Students’ Fees

Community college students who already hold bachelor degrees would pay fees that are 10 times higher than current costs if a bill moving through the Legislature is approved and signed by Gov. Pete Wilson.

The legislation, introduced by Assemblyman Robert Campbell (D-Richmond), seeks to ease the budget pressures on the 107-college system by raising fees from $6 to $50 per unit for students who already have a bachelor’s or an advanced degree.

The move, which is opposed by the system’s Board of Governors and others, would mean a student carrying a 12-unit course load would pay $600 per semester, instead of the maximum $60 charged now.

Students with four-year college or advanced degrees “ought to pay a little more,” said Campbell, whose bill has been approved by the Assembly Higher Education Committee and will be heard by the Assembly Ways and Means Committee this week.

He said the higher fees would generate about $31 million in additional revenue for community colleges in the first year and about $45 million in the second year.

The bill would exempt people who have lost their jobs, displaced homemakers and those receiving public assistance.

About 125,000 of the 1.5 million community college students statewide have a bachelor or higher degree, college officials said. Most have turned to the two-year colleges for retraining in a new career or to gain certification in such fields as nursing and real estate.

David Mertes, chancellor of the statewide community college system, said the higher fees would force some degree-holding students out of the system, making room for more high school graduates and other first-time students.

Imposing stiff fees on those who have four-year degrees is not desirable, Mertes said. But he also noted, “we are turning away large numbers of people now, and it will get worse because we’re looking at increased enrollments and I don’t see revenues available to handle all that.”

Support also came from Warren H. Fox, executive director of the California Postsecondary Education Commission, who said “in these difficult times, we think it’s a sensible solution.”

However, there is considerable opposition to the proposed fee increase.

The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, meeting at Las Positas Community College in Livermore last week, rejected Mertes’ recommendation that the fees be raised.

After opposition had been voiced by administrators, faculty members and students, the board asked Mertes to study a possible fee increase for all community college students, among other alternatives, and report back to the board by May 29. However, the Legislature could increase the fees even if the board objected.

Donald Phelps, chancellor of the nine-campus Los Angeles Community College District, said in an interview that most people who already have bachelor or advanced degrees “are not coming back to community colleges to take up fly-tying or just to fill their time” but are “looking for new job skills.”

“To penalize people who are trying to update their skills, especially in a time of heavy unemployment, is very shortsighted, in my judgment,” Phelps said.

Susie Williams, spokeswoman for the Los Rios Community College District in Sacramento, said about 4,300 of the 53,000 students in that three-campus system already have bachelor or advanced degrees.

“But they’re not taking cutesy little classes for personal interest,” she said. “We’re finding they’re enrolled in chemistry, physics, mathematics and other mainline programs. Most of them are trying to get a better job.”

Patrick McCallum, executive director of the 6,000-member Faculty Assn. of California Community Colleges, said he did not think the higher fees would open up more spaces for first-time students, which is one of the plan’s goals.

“Most of the heavy student demand is in basic skills courses like beginning English and math, where you’re not going to find many students who already have bachelor degrees,” McCallum said.

While this debate continued, the Assembly last week passed a bill by Assemblyman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) that would keep general community college fees at $6 per unit until 1995.

The basic fee for the public two-year colleges is $5 a unit, to a maximum of $50 per semester, but a $1 surcharge was added to help with this year’s budget crunch. The surcharge will be maintained until 1995 if the Costa bill becomes law.