Your wallet could be a little emptier in the fall, if Gov.Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to bump community college tuition upto $17 a unit is approved.
Schwarzenegger has also discussed increasing community collegetuition for students with bachelor’s degrees to $33 a unit, andgiving approximately 7,000 displaced UC and CSU students a freeride through the community college system with guaranteed transferadmission back into their original UC or CSU college aftercompleting their general education requirements.
These factors could adversely impact student enrollment atFoothill and De Anza next year, said Mike Brandy, vice chancellorof business services at a budget meeting last week.
An overwhelming majority of the district’s income comes from thestate, but the second largest source of income is internationalstudents, who contribute roughly $10 million a year in tuitionalone.
Brandy projects a five percent drop in international studentenrollment next year due to tuition increases, new immigration lawsand unfavorable home country conditions.
The district will most likely spend about $151,800,000 next yearafter reductions and bring in roughly $148,500,000, saidBrandy.
De Anza, Foothill and Central Services cut $3 million from theirbudgets with a combination of layoffs, course consolidations andleaving vacant positions unfilled, said Brandy.
Course reductions due to low enrollment are planned in ComputerAided Design and Digital Imaging, the Fitness Center, and otherdepartments.
This year’s budget cuts were not as harsh as last years, whenthe district was forced to eliminate 80 full-time positions to helpfill a $10 million budget deficit.
