College Costs Have Gone Up by Degrees : Education: Community college fees are far higher for those who already have degrees than for other students. The increases have driven many with degrees from campuses.

Higher education in Orange County starts switching into high gear today as four community colleges--Orange Coast, Golden West, Cypress and Fullerton--begin the first day of fall classes.

The fall college season starts on a bleak note: overall college and university enrollment in Orange County is projected to be down slightly this fall, compared to last autumn. Decreases in state aid to colleges and higher student fees are cited as major reasons for the expected drop in enrollment. But the decline in registration, especially at Cal State Fullerton, has created a hidden plus for some students; they will find there are vacancies in some of the most popular courses.

But many students are calling the higher fees oppressive.

“I’ve had to take a second job to buy my textbooks and pay a bill for retroactive registration fees for this semester,” said Don Ventura, 22, of Huntington Beach, a student at Golden West College. “I think the fee increases are an easy way out that legislators have used because students have been noted in the past not to vote.”

Forecasts by the individual institutions envision 5,617 fewer college students in the county this fall than the 198,100 enrolled a year ago--about a 3% drop.

A major reason for the projected decrease is that UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton are accepting fewer students this fall because of reduced state funding. UCI is cutting its enrollment about 2% compared with last autumn, and Cal State Fullerton is lowering its enrollment 7%.

“We’re having to lower the numbers to fit the budget,” said Cal State Fullerton Admissions Director James Blackburn.

Students who could not get into UCI or Cal State Fullerton in many cases will be attending two-year community colleges this fall, university officials said. Ironically, overall community college enrollment in Orange County also is to be slightly down this fall.

Some community college officials, including those from Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, say they are expecting enrollment declines this fall because of the substantially higher fees that the state has imposed on students who already have a bachelor’s degree.

Critics of the increased fee on bachelor-degree holders said it unfairly hurts people who are retraining for new jobs or those who must take college courses to upgrade their skills.

Sgt. Randy Tucker, a Garden Grove police officer who holds a bachelor’s degree, said he is among those hurt by the new $50 fee per unit. “As part of my job, I’m required to complete advanced officer training,” he said. “Every two years I’m required to complete a three-unit college class or I lose my educational incentive pay.”

Tucker, who takes a course at Golden West College, said he is reimbursed for the course by the Garden Grove Police Department, but he said “that agency is under a tight budget, too.”

Higher fees also are in place this fall on students at the UC and California State University systems. But despite the higher fees, more students applied for admission to UCI and Cal State Fullerton than the two universities could admit.

UCI Dean of Admissions James Dunning said the university this fall is admitting about 1,000 fewer freshmen than it did last autumn. UCI, however, is taking in more transfer students in upper grades this fall. Overall, UCI expects 389 fewer students this fall--a total of 16,750 students, compared with 17,139 last autumn.

Cal State Fullerton is predicting 22,700 students this fall compared with 24,503 a year ago.

University officials said fewer students preregistered for classes last Spring because they were anticipating a dramatic increase in fees. However, the increased fees were held to 10% within the California State University system, and as a result more students are expected to show up for walk-in registration, said Jerry Keating, director of public affairs.

In addition, Fullerton announced this week that it will be able to hire 53 more lecturers than originally planned, which will result in hundreds of additional classes being taught. The additional classes will be in subjects that are in the most demand by students, Keating said, and will be in both upper and lower-division classes.

“The worst budget predictions didn’t actually materialize so the university has a little more breathing room to offer classes needed by students,” Keating said. “There are classes that still have vacant seats in them for students still in the registration process.”

The university is also lifting its 16-unit maximum when classes begin later this month. After the first day of classes, students can sign up for up to 19 units.

Orange County’s eight community colleges have mixed predictions about this fall’s enrollment. Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College in Mission Viejo forecast modest growth.

Golden West College in Huntington Beach and Coastline Community College based in Fountain Valley project their enrollment to stay about the same as last year.

Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Rancho Santiago College in Santa Ana, Orange and Garden Grove, and Fullerton and Cypress colleges predict decreased enrollment this fall.

The only unanimous optimism for increased enrollment comes from three private colleges in the county: Chapman University in Orange, Concordia University in Irvine and Southern California College in Costa Mesa.

Chapman University is forecasting a 12% growth this fall. “ . . . More people seem to recognize that the ‘sticker shock’ pricing usually associated with independent schools like Chapman is not an obstacle, due to available aid and scholarships,” said Chapman’s Admissions Director Michael Drummy.

But the private schools, while predicting growth, are nonetheless feeling the pinch of the bad economic times.

“There’s a lot greater need for financial aid among students,” said Rick Hardy, dean of enrollment at Southern California College. “We’re finding that cost is the main factor now in students’ choices for college. Cost has always been a factor, but this is the first time we’ve seen it as the main concern.”

Parents and students are also concerned about the cost of public colleges and universities, officials say.

Fees at UC Irvine have jumped 46% in the last two years, from $2,524.50 per year in 1991 to $3,704.50. The fees do not include the cost of room, board or books.

At Cal State Fullerton, yearly fees also have risen 46% since the fall of 1991. The yearly cost for six units or more was $1,108 two years ago, and it has risen to $1,622 this fall.

Community colleges also have had significant fee hikes during the last two years. But the two-year institutions are still considered great bargains for undergraduate students. In 1991, fees were $6 per unit for both graduates and undergraduates, with a $60 ceiling, or maximum cost. Fees this fall for undergraduate students at community college are $13 per unit, with no cap on total cost.

The cost is $50 a unit if a student has a bachelor’s degree. The advent of that fee last January caused a drastic reduction in students last spring semester, officials said.

“We lost about 1,000 students who had baccalaureate degrees and who had been taking classes,” said Orange Coast College Admissions Dean Sue Brown. Brown added that the higher fee on students already holding a degree is among reasons she is projecting about a 2,000-student decline at Orange Coast this fall compared with last autumn.

College and university officials throughout Orange County said that the number of students pursuing college degrees remains remarkably high, despite the rising fees and bad economic times.

The officials noted that the predicted 3% decrease in total students is small and that overall Orange County is still strong in higher education.

“This is one of the more college-bound counties in the state,” said Blackburn, of Cal State Fullerton. “The population here has a strong interest in higher education.”

* NEW GUIDELINES: Those with clear academic goals are getting first crack at community college enrollment. A3

Changing Enrollment

Six of the county’s 13 colleges and universities are predicting decreased enrollment this fall compared to last autumn. If estimates are borne out, there will be nearly 3% fewer students on campuses this fall than last.

College Fall 1992 * Fall 1993 Pct. change Cal State Fullerton 24,503 22,700 -7.4 Chapman University 2,593 2,904 +11.9 Coastline Community College 16,170 16,170 N/C Concordia University** 650 750 +15.4 Cypress College 15,375 14,914 -2.9 Fullerton College 21,211 20,575 -2.9 Golden West College 15,295 15,295 N/C Irvine Valley College 10,500 11,000 +4.8 Orange Coast College 26,927 25,000 -7.2 Rancho Santiago College 25,837 24,000 -7.1 Saddleback College 21,000 21,500 +2.3 Southern California College 900 925 +2.8 UC Irvine 17,139 16,750 -2.3 Total 198,100 192,483 -2.8

OPENING DATES

The first days of classes at colleges and universities in Orange County vary by as much as six weeks.

Date: Colleges Aug. 16: Cypress College, Fullerton College, Golden West College, Orange Coast College Aug. 23: Irvine Valley College, Rancho Santiago College, Saddleback College Aug. 26: Cal State Fullerton Aug. 30: Chapman University Sept. 1: Southern California College Sept. 2: Concordia University Sept. 13: Coastline Community College Sept. 27: UC Irvine * Projected

** Formerly Christ College Irvine

N/C means no change

Source: Individual institutions

Researched by BILL BILLITER / Los Angeles Times