Cost cut may lift enrollment

Coast Community College District students and administrators hope enrollment rises in the next few years, after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill into law that slashes tuition across the state.

Starting in the winter intersession and continuing through the spring semester, students at California’s 109 community colleges will pay $20 per unit, down from $26 this year. The change marks the first decrease in tuition since 2000, when the cost per unit dipped from $12 to $11 before more than doubling over the next six years.

With community college enrollment across the state having declined as costs went up, many saw the fee reduction as a positive sign.

“I’m hoping there will be a lot more enrollment,” said Michelle Sutliff, the public relations director for Coastline Community College, which has a campus in Costa Mesa. “It may seem like just $6 in savings, but with a typical class being three units, it’s an $18 savings per class. If you’re taking a semester with 12 units, that can be a big savings.”

In July, Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1802, a bipartisan effort to boost funding for public schools and community colleges. During the days before the bill passed, a number of students signed petitions urging the state to lower expenses. The reduction becomes effective on Jan. 1.

Just four years ago, the cost per unit for California residents at community colleges was $11. In 2003, after the state legislature cut $161 million from community college funding, the price shot up to $18. The next year, it rose again to $26, where it has stayed since.

In the meantime, the number of students declined at the college district’s three campuses. Orange Coast College, the largest campus, saw its student population drop by more than 3,000 after 2002. That fall, the campus reported 26,006 students, while in fall 2005, the last year for which the district has official numbers, the total was down to 22,511.

According to the district, OCC and Coastline have seen enrollment increase this fall, while Golden West College has continued to drop off. The district estimated 24,832 students at OCC, 12,341 at Golden West and 12,928 at Coastline. District spokeswoman Martha Parham said the increase was likely due to the district sending advertisements to prospective students’ homes in Orange County and Long Beach, an action it hadn’t taken until this year.

Nancy Kidder, OCC’s dean of enrollment services, said she expected more students to apply after the drop in fees but added that it would probably take until next fall for the numbers to rise appreciably.

“Enrollments are not like turning a faucet on and off,” she said.

Regardless, a number of students said lower tuition costs would make a difference — even if it only meant a few more dollars for rent. Ashley Hodge, Coastline Community College’s student body president, said the savings per unit would compensate for other expenses such as textbooks.

“Having to buy $400 worth of books, plus paying $26 per unit for a four-unit class feels totally outrageous,” she said. “Coastline is basically the college without walls. We have a lot of equal-opportunity programs and services, but lower fees are going to help them [students] as well.”

Kimberly Ehart, an OCC English major, said she had signed the petition to bring down tuition. Paying for units wasn’t a problem for her, but she signed in support of her poorer classmates.

“Just because I can pay for it doesn’t mean everyone else can,” she said.

Enrollment in Coast Community College District (2002-present)

YEAR

COST PER UNIT

OCC

GOLDEN WEST

COASTLINE

Fall 2002

$11

26,006 15,496 11,246

Fall 2003

$18

23,067 13,918 9,946

Fall 2004

$26

23,337 13,976 10,121

Fall 2005

$26

22,511 13,742 9,980

Fall 2006

$26

24,832 12,341 12,928

Note: Fall 2006 figures are estimates.