Local students attending Foothill Community College will have a little more money in their pockets this year, as state legislation mandates a 23 percent decrease in community college fees starting Jan. 1.
In the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, units will now cost $13, down from $17. That means full-time students taking 12 units a quarter will see their fees drop from $774 to $630 annually. Fees include per-unit prices, enrollment and registration, parking and health services.
In the same legislation, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this summer, $680 million in state general funds was allocated for the community college system.
The previous year saw fees rise and enrollment drop at the state’s 109 community colleges. According to the state Department of Education, enrollment went from 1.16 million full-time students in the 2002-03 school year to 1.12 million in 2005-06.
Foothill and De Anza colleges are only two of three community colleges in the state that operate on the quarter system. Community colleges on the semester system will see a decrease from $26 per unit to $20.
The Community League of California, an advocacy group for the community college system, reported this week that the group has begun circulating a petition for a 2008 statewide ballot measure that would decrease the fees even more — from $20 to $15 for students on the semester system, and from $13 to $10 per unit for students on the quarter system.
E-mail Alexa Tondreau at atondreau@mv-voice.com
