Budget Cuts Threaten Over 250,000 Community College Students
SACRAMENTO, CA Nov. 13, 2008 - Budget cuts proposed last week will cause community colleges to turn away 262,845 current students if implemented, analysis released today by the Community College League of California shows. The loss of a quarter of a million students is the equivalent of closing the University of California.
The state's rising unemployment rate and decisions by the California State University to limit enrollment will likely lead to even more students finding the doors to higher education closed.
California's community colleges are seeing skyrocketing enrollments as Californians return to college amid high unemployment to retrain for the changing economy. The Department of Finance is now estimating that another 400,000 Californians will be jobless by 2010 as the unemployment increases from 7.7% to 9.7%.
Meanwhile, a poll released today by the Public Policy Institute of California finds that 66% of Californians believe community colleges are doing an "excellent" or "good" job, putting the two-year colleges on par with the California State University and University of California. However, 83% of the public is concerned that the state's budget gap will cause significant spending cuts in higher education, and 68% believe that more funding is needed to provide "major improvements" to California's higher education system.
"California's community colleges are our state's best economic stimulus," said Scott Lay, president and chief executive officer of the Community College League of California. "We must decide now to make the investment needed to emerge from this downturn with a more equipped and knowledgeable workforce that translates into quality jobs for our taxpayers and a stronger economy."
With 110 accredited colleges and more than 200 locations throughout California, community colleges serve over 1.7 million students each term from nearly every community in the state.
The Community College League of California is a nonprofit public benefit corporation whose voluntary membership consists of the 72 local community college districts in California. The League promotes student access and success by strengthening colleges through leadership development, advocacy, policy development and district services.
Estimated Impact of Proposed Special Session Cuts
District Projected Impact
Allan Hancock $2,800,000
Antelope Valley $3,300,000
Barstow $900,000
Butte $3,100,000
Cabrillo $3,500,000
Cerritos $4,900,000
Chabot-Las Positas $5,100,000
Chaffey $4,300,000
Citrus $3,300,000
Coast $10,300,000
Compton $1,100,000
Contra Costa $9,200,000
Copper Mt. $600,000
Desert $2,300,000
El Camino $5,900,000
Feather River $600,000
Foothill-DeAnza $9,600,000
Gavilan $1,600,000
Glendale $4,500,000
Grossmont-Cuyamaca $5,400,000
Hartnell $2,000,000
Imperial $2,000,000
Kern $6,100,000
Lake Tahoe $700,000
Lassen $600,000
Long Beach $6,200,000
Los Angeles $29,900,000
Los Rios $15,400,000
Marin Local tax sustaining
Mendocino-Lake $1,000,000
Merced $2,900,000
Mira Costa Local tax sustaining
Monterey Peninsula $2,300,000
Mt. San Antonio $8,100,000
Mt. San Jacinto $3,100,000
Napa Valley $1,800,000
North Orange County $9,500,000
Ohlone $2,600,000
Palo Verde $700,000
Palomar $5,600,000
Pasadena Area $6,500,000
Peralta $6,100,000
Rancho Santiago $8,300,000
Redwoods $1,600,000
Rio Hondo $3,800,000
Riverside $7,900,000
San Bernardino $4,100,000
San Diego $11,700,000
San Francisco $10,000,000
San Joaquin Delta $4,700,000
San Jose-Evergreen $4,500,000
San Luis Obispo $2,800,000
San Mateo $5,600,000
Santa Barbara $4,500,000
Santa Clarita $4,300,000
Santa Monica $5,600,000
Sequoias $2,400,000
Shasta-Tehama-Trinity $2,200,000
Sierra $4,500,000
Siskiyou $900,000
Solano $2,700,000
Sonoma $5,800,000
South Orange Local tax sustaining
Southwestern $4,600,000
State Center $8,000,000
Ventura $7,900,000
Victor Valley $2,800,000
West Hills $1,800,000
West Kern $1,200,000
West Valley-Mission $4,800,000
Yosemite $5,000,000
Yuba $2,500,000
Total: $332,200,000
* Based on 2007-08 Second Principle Apportionment. Actual amounts would vary based on final calculations.
Estimated Impact of Proposed Special Session Cuts
** Local tax sustaining districts do not receive general support from the state and thus would not be included in a reduction
in cost-of-living adjustment or general
