Coming to Terms With Austerity : Education: College students may find crowded classes, fewer choices and higher costs. But at least things haven’t gotten worse.

Orange County’s more than 200,000 college students are likely to find fewer classes and more crowded classrooms as they head to school this fall, according to administrators.

Classes begin Tuesday at Orange Coast College and Golden West College. Five more community colleges--Cypress, Fullerton, Irvine Valley, Rancho Santiago and Saddleback--will start Aug. 22.

Enrollment at public universities and colleges in Orange County is projected to decline slightly compared to last autumn, but the number of students opting for small private colleges is growing. At the same time, the number of classes at many local public colleges is shrinking, and fees at major state institutions continue to grow, mirroring a nationwide trend, education experts said.

Student fees at UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Long Beach increased 10% in the past year.

Fees at the community colleges remained level this year, however, after more than doubling between 1991 and 1993.

“It used to be incredible--you could take 14 units for $50,” said community college student Brian Bailey, 26, as he waited in a registration line at Orange Coast College. “It’s more money now, but it’s still a lot less than at a university.”

College and university officials said tough economic times have made it necessary to raise tuition as much as four times the inflation rate, and some institutions are limiting enrollment so they can afford to provide services with limited funds from the state.

But if higher education’s economic picture in 1994 is bleak, officials said, at least it’s no bleaker than last year’s.

Administrators said they are not limiting enrollment at their schools drastically, as they did in 1993; and larger financial aid packages are becoming available to low- and middle-income students who need help, they said.

“We are not exempt from what’s happening in California” economically, said Bill Haddad, acting associate vice president for academic programs at Cal State Fullerton. “But I wouldn’t say the university has suffered more than the average Joe on the street.”

Enrollment numbers at local public colleges and universities this fall are only estimates at this point, and officials are unsure if enrollment will climb or take a tumble. But administrators are predicting that enrollment will either decline slightly or level off at Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Long Beach and will grow modestly at UC Irvine.

UCI spokesman Scott Nelson said the university likely will “see some growth, but it’s small and certainly nothing like the growth we saw a few years ago.”

Community college officials are cautious about early enrollment statistics but most indicate the student populations will remain level at most colleges.

Total enrollment for the county’s 10 public colleges and Cal State Long Beach is expected to be about 200,000 students, administrators say.

According to preliminary nationwide statistics released by the American Assn. of State Colleges and Universities, enrollment at public universities dipped 1.1% in fall, 1993, compared to 1992--the first drop in seven years. Reasons given include increased tuition, poor economic conditions and a smaller pool of high school graduates. Officials will keep an eye on this year’s numbers to see if the decrease continues.

Enrollment at local private colleges and universities is increasing, according to projections. Small, young institutions such as Southern California College in Costa Mesa and Concordia University in Irvine are growing quickly, campus spokesmen said.

“Our growth and shift from solely liberal arts to a more comprehensive institution happened at the same time” as budget problems in state schools, said Chapman University spokeswoman Ruth Wardwell. Chapman has tried to increase recruiting in Orange County, she said.

Haddad of Cal State Fullerton said advertising may make the difference for private schools.

“Historically, we haven’t spent much money on advertising,” Haddad said. “Private colleges do try to get their message out.”

Private colleges can promise classes that students need to graduate in four years, Haddad said. Some Cal State students, many of whom work and commute to campus, have said it is impossible to get into the classes they need to graduate in just four years.

Officials said it takes an average of 4.9 years to graduate from a Cal State school.

But, Haddad said, “When you go to a private school, you commit to staying on campus. If you made the same commitment to Cal State Fullerton, you’d be able to graduate in four years.”

At Cal State Fullerton, fees for students taking seven units or more will rise from $810 to $900 in the fall. At Cal State Long Beach, full-time students can expect to pay about $850. UCI undergraduates from California will pay about $1,444 in state and campus fees for the fall quarter.

Community college students will still pay $13 a unit, as they did in 1993. Students with four-year degrees pay $50 a unit.

“Seven units is going to cost me $91, plus $10 health fee, $10 service fee, $20 parking fee--that’s $121 I don’t have,” said Edward Bellamy, 23, of Fountain Valley, who recently signed up for classes at Orange Coast College.

“I wanted to come back to school because I want to get a real job,” said Bellamy, who works for a shipping company and is a promoter for a nightclub on the side.

A sampling of private universities shows their tuitions are also on the rise. Chapman University will raise its tuition 5% to $16,624 this year, for example.

Cal State Fullerton’s Blackburn said higher fees at his university might have “scared off a few people,” but the students who remain are taking heavier course loads. The number of courses offered has remained about the same.

UCI, so far, is offering 5,882 total course sections--164 fewer than last year--but classes may be added, UCI officials said. Class sizes may increase there and at other universities, a complaint heard increasingly in recent years from instructors.

As of fall, 1993, there were 17.6 students per faculty member at UCI, university spokeswoman Susan Menning said. New statistics are not yet available.

Private schools, meanwhile, are increasing their course lists. Southern California College will offer 85 more courses than it did last fall, officials said.

The number of classes will remain about the same or dip slightly at most local community colleges, officials said. Many colleges are trying to fill classes to capacity, and general education courses--those that fulfill breadth requirements at universities--are especially crammed.

College officials said students who want to take specific courses should shop around.

“We have students at Golden West who are also enrolled at Coastline and Orange Coast College,” Golden West spokeswoman Wendy Weber said. “If students really want a class, they’ll be able to find it.”

Attendance Report Five of Orange County’s 11 public colleges expect to have a smaller enrollment this year than last, while all three private institutions are projecting student gains. Most fall, 1994, figures estimate enrollment on “census dates,” usually two weeks after classes start. Cypress and Fullerton college statistics for both 1993 and 1994 are for opening day of class instead.

Public schools Fall 1993 Fall 1994* Pct. change Cal State Fullerton 22,565 22,000 -2.5% Cal State Long Beach 27,073 26,433 -2.4 Coastline Community College 13,591 14,500 6.7 Cypress College 12,786 12,000 -6.1 Fullerton College 18,463 17,000 -7.9 Golden West College 14,259 14,000 -1.8 Irvine Valley College 9,500 9,690 2.0 Orange Coast College 25,004 25,004 0.0 Rancho Santiago College 20,529 20,529 0.0 Saddleback College 21,187 22,000 3.8 UC Irvine 16,773 16,991 1.3 Total public 201,730 200,147 -0.8

Private schools Fall 1993 Fall 1994* Pct. change Chapman University 2,930 3,000 2.4 Concordia University 916 1,017 11.0 Southern California College 965 1,050 8.8 Total private 4,811 5,067 5.3 Total public and private 206,541 205,214 -0.6

* Projected Opening Dates The first days of classes at local colleges and universities span six weeks, from mid-August to late September.

Date College Aug. 16 Golden West College, Orange Coast College Aug. 22 Cypress College, Fullerton College, Irvine Valley College, Rancho Santiago College, Saddleback College Aug. 25 Cal State Fullerton Aug. 29 Chapman University, Cal State Long Beach Aug. 31 Southern California College Sept. 1 Concordia University at Irvine Sept. 12 Coastline Community College Sept. 26 UC Irvine

Source: Individual institutions; Researched by ALICIA DI RADO/Los Angeles Times