Copyright© 1999 by School Services of California, Inc.
By The Way. . .
Community College Fee Bill Is Not Dead, Yet! Legislation was introduced by Assembly Member Mike Machado (D-Linden) that was intended to reduce student enrollment fees at the University of California, California State University and California Community Colleges. As originally introduced, AB 1602 reduced student fees at UC and CSU by 5% below the level charged during the 1997-98 fiscal year. Community college fees would be reduced from $12 per unit to zero dollars by the 2001-02 academic year. However, the Legislature took action in the 1999-00 State Budget to reduce student fees at the three segments of public higher education. UC and CSU fees were reduced by 5% and the community college student enrollment fee was reduced from $12 to $11 per unit.
Assembly Member Machado has now amended AB 1602 to provide that community college enrollment fees shall be $8 for the 199-00 academic year, $4 during the 2000-01 academic year and zero dollars during the 2000-01 academic year. The bill further specifies that the Legislature declares that funding to compensate the community colleges for the fiscal impact associated with AB 1602 shall be appropriated in the annual Budget Act.
This bill is viewed as a "campaign piece," the author is running for the State Senate and as a result the bill will not get through the legislative process this year. It will become a "two-year bill" to be taken up during the 2000 legislative session. At this time, there is no support by the Administration to reduce community college fees to $8 or lower.