Fee Reduction Spurs Enrollment at OCC

A reduction in fees charged students who are already college graduates has led to a big increase in the number of students with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classes at Orange Coast College, school officials said.

The Costa Mesa community college reported that the number of students who already hold college degrees increased by 56% for the spring semester.

OCC credits the jump in enrollment to a recent decision by the state Legislature to rescind a surcharge for college graduates taking classes at community colleges.

“For the past three years, instead of paying $39 for a three-unit course, university graduates were required to pay a $150 fee,” said Nancy L. Kidder, OCC’s administrative dean of admissions and records.

“That proved a hardship for many students,” Kidder said. “Some of our neediest students over the years have been those with bachelor’s degrees or higher who have had to come back to school to retrain, pick up new job skills or change careers.”

Of the 21,783 students who signed up for spring classes at OCC this year, 7.2% already have bachelor’s degrees. Last spring, only 4.7% of OCC’s total student population held bachelor’s degrees.