Point by Alene Masse
Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed AB 955 into law, allowing community colleges to raise tuition cost on high-demand courses during winter and summer term.
Some of the courses included will be English, history and algebra.
Before running amok over Brown’s signing, students must realize that this new law is not mandatory as Brown has stated, “a reasonable experiment.” It is now Fullerton College’s decision on whether or not they choose to participate.
Students must also realize that if FC chooses to participate this will only affect the winter and summer terms. Granted, not many students sign up for either of these terms compared to spring and fall.
The benefit of raising the fee is it would allow many students access to the courses needed.
A good portion of students who have priority registration enroll in these classes, leaving others looking at staying at a community college for another semester or more. It is safe to say that a majority of students at community colleges want to be able to make the transition to a 4-year university and get their degree and start their career and their lives.
However, this is impossible when they do not have the chance to enroll in a course required for graduation and transfer. Especially when many students are one or two classes away from doing so.
FC has students who register for these high-demand courses and do not fall through with them. It is understandable that some students have circumstances that occur that are beyond their reach. Yet, there are some students who do not take these courses serious or are confused about their options in life.
There are many students who are sure about their education and want to move forward as quickly as possible yet they are held back because as Assemblyman Das Williams stated, “You’re in, but sorry, you can’t get any of the courses you need to transfer or get a degree,”
Students have the option to choose, if FC agrees with the higher fees. If they do not like it, they can continue with the courses in the spring or fall and take the chance of getting into the classes or not. Or they can pay more for the course they need and know they are getting a step closer to transferring. Let’s face it, if FC does go through with the higher fees, a majority of students will not enroll in these courses during those terms leaving seats available.
Education is not free. Once out of high school, students must rely on financial aid, student loans, or money from their own pockets to pay for tuition. It only gets more challenging when making the transition to a 4-year university. If students do not have a full-ride scholarship, financial aid will most likely not pay for all their tuition costs and student loans will be needed.
This is the price and sacrifice students must make now that will eventually lead them to that high-paying career later on down the road.
Counter-point by Erik Edlund
The pilot-program that increases tuition fees for certain classes at California community colleges should be infuriating to many students. The education in California and in the rest of the United States is already considered broken and faltering. The signing of the bill follows the many other states that have a similar program in place.
Everyone knows that education is essential to a productive and advanced society. Everyone deserves to be educated, but that’s not how society works. The government is to blame for this process. The repercussions of increasing tuition fees could have many dire consequences.
People need education to gain knowledge. Education helps to enhance common sense. When students sets goals for themselves, it is more likely that they will aim to achieve them the higher educated they are.
To gain a college degree students must already pay a hefty fee. So why would Gov. Jerry Brown sign a bill that voluntarily increases fees to certain classes? Some of the classes that would see a fee increase would be: English, history, and math. These classes are essential in gaining insights into a career that will last.
Even though the increases are for summer and winter classes it still makes people stress out or want to walk away completely. Students are already in over their heads with gathering financial aid or gathering their own money, including finding every dime and penny to pay for school. And the way the economy is it is almost impossible to find a good paying job.
When students see the increases in fees for classes, their mentality might change completely. They might think that education is not worth the price and walk away from continuing their education.
Higher fees means less students and then what will community colleges do? Less students could result in some colleges needing to shut down because of attendance.
Students already have enough on their plate. They already are worrying about bills or debt. The increase in fees will just be more of a burden to them and chances are that they will rather pick employment over education to make it.
It makes no sense why this bill has become a law when fees per unit have been increasing already for the last decade. How would basically doubling the fee per unit be helpful to students in need of these certain classes that they are required to take?
This is a bad choice on the governor’s part. We can only hope that the pilot-program falls through and the fees per unit go back to how they were. Records will come to show that several students will stay away from these classes during the winter and summer sessions.
Point Counterpoint is an argumentative opinion on a topic the Hornet feels both sides of an argument should be told.