Feeling Low Over Higher Learning Fees : Tuition: Higher costs, approved by the state last year to cope with a $5-billion shortfall, are thinning the ranks of students at Orange County community colleges.

When Mark A. Malia first learned he would have to pay about $125 more to take a community college journalism class this semester, he thought for sure his efforts to become a writer would founder.

Although he managed to take the Saddleback College class, he said it probably will be his last.

“For $25 bucks it was a deal,” said Malia, who has a master’s degree and has worked for years in the molecular biology field. “It was a wonderful deal. Now it’s in the hundreds. It becomes not only a bad deal, it becomes a lost cause.”

Community college students throughout the county are experiencing a shock this spring semester as higher fees, approved by the state Legislature last year to cope with a shortfall of more than $5 billion, take effect.

While school enrollments appear to be holding steady, local community college officials say many students are taking fewer classes, and some who already hold degrees are staying away altogether because of the new higher fees.

Students who once paid $6 per unit, with a $60 total maximum, most now must pay $10 per unit with no maximum. Students who hold bachelor’s or higher degrees are now required to pay $50 per unit. For such students, a typical three-unit class that cost $18 last semester costs $150 this semester, not counting health fees.

At Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, where classes started Monday, officials have seen enrollment drops in some classes traditionally popular with students who hold degrees and are seeking new job skills or personal improvement. Traditionally, about 18% of the 33,000 students at Saddleback and Irvine Valley colleges have bachelor’s degrees.

“There are a lot of people in theater and the other arts who want to keep their craft up,” said Ron Ellison, chairman of the Irvine Valley College School of Fine Arts. “Some are in their 40s, 50s or even 60s and have limited incomes and can’t afford the fee.”

Enrollments for business classes are down by about 20% at Irvine Valley College, although officials say they had expected even worse because of the higher fees.

“That’s not bad, considering that 40% of the students normally enrolling in that area have bachelor’s degrees,” said Terry Burgess, vice president of instruction at Irvine Valley College.

At Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, overall enrollment is down slightly, and many students appear to be taking fewer classes, according to Everett L. Brewer, vice president of instruction. Instead of taking between 15 and 18 units, many students are trying to save money by taking only 12, Brewer said.

“For the first time ever, we have seats still available this week in such general education classes as sociology, psychology,” Brewer said. “We don’t have many, but we still have seats available. A year ago, they would have been gone.”

Melinda Mitchell is one student who will be taking fewer classes this semester because of the fee hike. A mother of one with another child on the way, Mitchell said she planned to take three classes at Orange Coast College this semester, but instead signed up for only one.

“It’s $40 just for one math class,” said Mitchell, 30, a dental hygienist who is returning to school to work toward a bachelor’s degree necessary for her career advancement. “The books will almost be $100.”

Meanwhile, officials at other county community colleges are keeping a close watch on enrollment figures as students continue to register for classes. Classes at Orange Coast College, Golden West College and Rancho Santiago College start Tuesday, while classes at Cypress and Fullerton colleges start Jan. 25.

“It’s still a little early to tell,” said Christopher O’Hearn, vice president of instruction at Orange Coast College. “But my best insight is that we have not had any negative effects on enrollment. We are just about exactly where we would expect to be at this moment in terms of enrollment. What we don’t know, is how many students who have actually enrolled have bachelor’s degrees.”

At Coastline Community College, officials expect 12,000 students will be registered for classes when the semester starts Feb. 8. But already, officials have seen some effects of the fee increase, college spokeswoman Gail Jones said.

“We have the same amount of students, but they’re taking fewer units,” she said. “We also definitely expect to see a drop in enrollment in classes that have historically attracted bachelor’s degree holders.”

In Huntington Beach, Golden West College officials said they might start the semester with about 13,000 students, down by about 5% from the same time last year.

Community college officials say that even the $50 fee is still a relatively good deal, compared to the higher fees at four-year colleges and trade schools.

But that could be changing soon, officials warn. Under the proposed budget submitted by Gov. Pete Wilson, basic fees for most of the 1.5 million community college students in the state would jump to $30 per unit, or about $900 a year for a full load of classes. Fees for students with degrees could more than double to $105 per unit, or $3,150 per year for a full load.

The bad news for the community college system comes as state revenue continues to stagnate, while demands for state-supported services increase. Budget analysts predict that state revenue will be more than $7 billion short of what it would take to serve rising demands for programs and to pay off a $2-billion deficit from the current year’s budget.

“Any change upward is going to be difficult for students,” said Brewer of Saddleback College. “Let’s just hope we don’t force too many students out of education. (Community colleges) serve so many students so very well.”