The proposed budget cuts will not affect students who receive the Board of Governors Fee Waiver, or BOGW, says Joan Wegner, director of financial aid.
The BOGW is a state-supported grant program to waive the enrollment fee for eligible California residents.
It is available for students who have already qualified for other types of financial aid, and for students who have exceptionally low incomes, including recipients of AFDC, SSI or General Assistance.
“About 40 to 45 percent of students receive the BOG (waiver),” Wegner says.
The majority of students interviewed who are on the program were aware of proposed state budget cuts, but said they were not worried.
Angelica Vargas, a psychology major, has worked long hours to pay for the costs of her education before.
“I have BOG so it really wouldn’t affect me,” Vargas says. “Two years ago I couldn’t get none of that (BOG) and I paid for everything. I paid for my books, I paid for my classes, but I worked a full-time job to pay for all that and it wasn’t too difficult at $11 a unit, but at $24 a unit, that’s crazy. I know that if I couldn’t get BOG I wouldn’t be able to afford it.”
Some students like Monica Martinez, who doesn’t receive the grant, depend on their parents.
“My parents don’t like paying for school, but they do. They would rather me go to school,” she says.
Jennifer Unruh plans to transfer.
“I’m not going here next year so it’s not going to affect me. I’m already transferring,” she says.
Tim Daugherty, another student, predicted that the fee increases will not affect him too much.
“I got financial aid and all my classes are paid for by the state.”
But a student who did not give his name says the cuts will hurt everyone at the college.
“Some people think it’s a second-rate school and they’re starting to represent that.”
— Sports Editor Victor Garcia contributed to this story.