Gavilan College stands to get more funding under the recently
approved California budget, but Gavilan students will pay more
money to enroll in classes.
Gavilan College stands to get more funding under the recently approved California budget, but Gavilan students will pay more money to enroll in classes.
Funding for community colleges across the state will increase 7.4 percent in 2004-05. Colleges will receive $125 million to expand enrollment by nearly 3.7 percent, or about 40,297 students.
“It’s an overall funding increase, assuming you can get the growth that’s allocated,” Gavilan President Steve Kinsella said.
Gavilan is expected to grow by 3 percent next school year, or about 138 full-time students. Kinsella said he expects the college will be able to accommodate the additional students and 70 class sections will be added to the fall schedule.
Last fall, some class sections were cut due to reduced state funding.
The college also stands to gain $460,000 from a 2.41 percent cost-of-living increase from the state. There was no such increase in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s January budget proposal.
“There’s another item in here that we’re not sure at the moment whether or not we’re going to have any affect from it and that’s equalization money,” Kinsella said.
About $80 million will be provided to 58 districts across the state to increase their funding per full-time student and bring them closer to the statewide average funding rate. The equalization funds will go to districts that are below 90 percent of the statewide funding average. It is currently unclear whether Gavilan College will see any of that money, Kinsella said.
Gavilan students will pay an $8 increase in class fees for the second year in a row. The state will now charge $26 per unit, up from $18 last year and $11 the year before that. College officials worry the 45 percent fee hike could keep some low-income students from enrolling.
Lori Stuenkel covers education for The Dispatch. She can be reached at [email protected] or 847-7158.
