More Students Are Willing to Trade the Beach for the Books

Because the deal was too good to pass up, junior Rose Herrera ended up at Cal State Fullerton’s summer school this year--along with about 9,000 other students.

Under a $20-million grant, the state for the first time is making it possible for 18 of the 23 Cal State campuses to offer summer school courses at rates similar to those charged during the regular academic year.

Previously, summer school courses cost much more because the state didn’t subsidize them at the same rate it does during the regular academic year.

A three-unit summer school class that cost about $450 last year costs $315 this year--a discount of 30%. A second class this year is a steal at $99--a 78% discount over last year’s fee.

It’s not just the students who benefit. With enrollments expected to jump as the children of baby boomers head to college, university officials hope increased summer enrollments will be a less expensive alternative to building more classrooms.

CSU Chancellor Charles Reed said the expanded summer school can absorb a 30% increase in enrollments without adding facilities. He would like the number of summer school students to reach 40% of the totals for the spring and fall semesters.

“If your students are graduating sooner, you’re going to have empty seats for students to come in behind them,” he said.

Like at a sale at the Gap, students are jumping at the cheaper tuition. Summer attendance for the CSU system is up 33%, said spokeswoman Colleen Bentley-Adler.

Cal State Fullerton, the fastest-growing campus in the system, shows an even greater increase: About 9,000 students have enrolled for summer school, 41% more than last year.

And students are taking more classes, said Harry Norman, dean of extended education at Cal State Fullerton.

Last summer, students on average enrolled in less than 3.5 units; this year, they are averaging more than 5 units.

The university was not shy in telling students about the boom in summer offerings. Students were targeted with mailings suggesting that they spend part of their summer on campus instead of at the beach.

In the UC system, where enrollment growth of 40% is expected in the next decade, officials also are moving toward year-round schooling.

Classroom capacity is stretched closest to the limit at UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara. The three campuses are offering subsidized classes this year, thanks to $34 million in state money.

If more money becomes available, the other five UC campuses offering undergraduate courses could also expand their summer programs, said Brad Hayward, a UC spokesman.

The state funding extends much of the financial aid students receive to their summer classes.

Increased summer offerings also help students who want to speed through school, or those who need greater flexibility.

Unlike the traditional college students who graduate in their early 20s and live in dorms, many Cal State Fullerton students are older with families and are returning to school.

Herrera, 32, is taking a kinesiology class this summer on her way to becoming a physical therapist.

“By taking advantage of summer school I can get my courses out of the way,” she said.

“It will make it much faster for me to get out of school.”