2008 Woodie Awards
College tuition fees more affordable
n Tuition could possibly lower more in the future, making college more accessible to BC students.
Earl Parsons
Issue date: 2/7/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Tuition fees at Bakersfield College and community colleges across California dropped from $26 per unit to $20 per unit and could drop down to $15 by 2008.
The rate change became effective this semester. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the state budget responsible for the rate change in July of last year, which provided $680 million to all 109 California community college campuses and 2.5 million community college students.
William Andrews, president of Bakersfield College, said, "All of the community college groups at the state level have been encouraging lowering fees."
Many students didn't realize that tuition had been lowered. Correctional administration major Cory Anderson said, "I didn't even know about [the tuition being lowered]. That's good."
When asked about his opinion on the tuition fees, Andrews said, "What I'm hoping is that it motivates more students to attend Bakersfield College."
The Community College League of California, a lobbying organization comprised of California community college presidents and CEOs, is attempting to get a voter-sponsored initiative on the 2008 November ballot that would lower tuition fees statewide to $15 per unit and would only allow fees to increase in conjunction with per capita income.
The initiative, which SGA legislative liaison Alan Crane said would "write into permanence the organizational structure of community colleges," is essentially an extension of Proposition 98, a 1988 law designed to protect money for public schools.
One element of the initiative would de-integrate community colleges from K-12 public schools and determine community college funding based on community college enrollment rather than K-12 enrollment.
This distinction is important, according to Dennis Smith, president of the Faculty Association of the California Community Colleges, because "[community colleges] continue to be hamstrung by segments of the Education Code that are designed to protect children. Our program needs are different. Our students are adults."
The faculty association and the community college league, as well as the California Federation of Teachers, all support this initiative. The California Teacher Association, which did not participate in signature gathering, has yet to declare its position on the initiative.
The rate change became effective this semester. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the state budget responsible for the rate change in July of last year, which provided $680 million to all 109 California community college campuses and 2.5 million community college students.
William Andrews, president of Bakersfield College, said, "All of the community college groups at the state level have been encouraging lowering fees."
Many students didn't realize that tuition had been lowered. Correctional administration major Cory Anderson said, "I didn't even know about [the tuition being lowered]. That's good."
When asked about his opinion on the tuition fees, Andrews said, "What I'm hoping is that it motivates more students to attend Bakersfield College."
The Community College League of California, a lobbying organization comprised of California community college presidents and CEOs, is attempting to get a voter-sponsored initiative on the 2008 November ballot that would lower tuition fees statewide to $15 per unit and would only allow fees to increase in conjunction with per capita income.
The initiative, which SGA legislative liaison Alan Crane said would "write into permanence the organizational structure of community colleges," is essentially an extension of Proposition 98, a 1988 law designed to protect money for public schools.
One element of the initiative would de-integrate community colleges from K-12 public schools and determine community college funding based on community college enrollment rather than K-12 enrollment.
This distinction is important, according to Dennis Smith, president of the Faculty Association of the California Community Colleges, because "[community colleges] continue to be hamstrung by segments of the Education Code that are designed to protect children. Our program needs are different. Our students are adults."
The faculty association and the community college league, as well as the California Federation of Teachers, all support this initiative. The California Teacher Association, which did not participate in signature gathering, has yet to declare its position on the initiative.
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