2008 Woodie Awards
Fee decrease approved for spring
Jen Elliott
Issue date: 9/14/06 Section: News
This just in: it will cost you less to attend college next semester.
Thanks to the California Board of Governors, community college enrollment fees will decrease to $20 a unit starting in January of 2007. That means that a three unit class will cost you $60 instead of $78.
In the education budget trailer bill for the 2006-07 fiscal years (AB 1802, Committee on Budget) the legislature amended the California Education Code to reduce the enrollment fee from $26 per semester unit to $20, in order to encourage spring enrollments and adjust the relationship of actual to projected enrollments over the course of the 2006-2007 academic year.
The Legislature provided $40 million of state funds in the 2006-07 Budget Act in order to compensate for the fee revenue loss that would occur as a result of the fee reduction. This amount was an approximate estimate based on an assumption that the spring term represented a point roughly halfway through the fiscal year. .
As of the college's first count early in the fall semester, there are 18,111 students enrolled at MJC, not including late-start classes, which is up from last fall.
"When the economy is down enrollment goes up," Modesto Junior College Dean of Instructional Services George Railey said. "Availability of open sections has been a problem [for students]."
But fewer are expected in the spring.
"Historically spring enrollment is less than fall," Railey said.
This is partially due to the incoming high school students from surrounding areas who graduate in spring and sign up for college in the fall. But, there are many factors that impact the enrollment, such as the price of gas and the economy.
Other factors that impact are staff availability, open classrooms and a need for more instructors. If students can't get into a class they want, they may wait until the following fall. The recently approved Perkins Act of 2006 will help with funding to open more sections of in-demand classes. According to the Association for Career and Technical Education, The Perkins Act provides almost $1.3 billion in federal support for career and technical education programs in all 50 states. The law was enacted by the President and will extend through 2012.
Thanks to the California Board of Governors, community college enrollment fees will decrease to $20 a unit starting in January of 2007. That means that a three unit class will cost you $60 instead of $78.
In the education budget trailer bill for the 2006-07 fiscal years (AB 1802, Committee on Budget) the legislature amended the California Education Code to reduce the enrollment fee from $26 per semester unit to $20, in order to encourage spring enrollments and adjust the relationship of actual to projected enrollments over the course of the 2006-2007 academic year.
The Legislature provided $40 million of state funds in the 2006-07 Budget Act in order to compensate for the fee revenue loss that would occur as a result of the fee reduction. This amount was an approximate estimate based on an assumption that the spring term represented a point roughly halfway through the fiscal year. .
As of the college's first count early in the fall semester, there are 18,111 students enrolled at MJC, not including late-start classes, which is up from last fall.
"When the economy is down enrollment goes up," Modesto Junior College Dean of Instructional Services George Railey said. "Availability of open sections has been a problem [for students]."
But fewer are expected in the spring.
"Historically spring enrollment is less than fall," Railey said.
This is partially due to the incoming high school students from surrounding areas who graduate in spring and sign up for college in the fall. But, there are many factors that impact the enrollment, such as the price of gas and the economy.
Other factors that impact are staff availability, open classrooms and a need for more instructors. If students can't get into a class they want, they may wait until the following fall. The recently approved Perkins Act of 2006 will help with funding to open more sections of in-demand classes. According to the Association for Career and Technical Education, The Perkins Act provides almost $1.3 billion in federal support for career and technical education programs in all 50 states. The law was enacted by the President and will extend through 2012.
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