"Westly!"
Posted on 01/30/2006 6:40:59 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) - State Controller Steve Westly said Monday that every Californian is entitled to free community college - and the state can afford to pay for it.
Westly, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, proposed to pay tuition for students who successfully complete a community college degree. He said the proposal would cost $100 million to $200 million a year, money he said the state should already be paying community colleges. The former eBay executive and millionaire announced his proposal at the annual legislative conference of the Community College League of California in Sacramento Monday.
"Community colleges are the most important part of the higher education system," he told the group. "Too often, they're also the most neglected."
Westly said the cost of attending the state's 109 community colleges has increased 136 percent in the last three years, to about $800 a year for a full courseload. Attendance has meanwhile lagged, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office.
Westly said 180,000 students were priced out of education when fees climbed dramatically in 2003. But the legislative analyst found in 2003-04 about 40 percent of full-time students had their education subsidized and did not pay any tuition.
Westly's plan would let students borrow the full cost of their education, interest-free, and the money would turn into a grant if they completed their program. Students who dropped out would have to repay the loans as usual.
The state has shortchanged community colleges in recent years, Westly said. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget this year is $255 million short of what colleges should be receiving, he said. Schwarzenegger has proposed eliminating fee increases at colleges and universities in an effort to control the costs to students.
Westly's Democratic rival, state Treasurer Phil Angelides, has an education proposal that includes reducing taxes on education, admitting 20,000 more students to state universities, expanding the state's grant system and creating an endowment to boost funding by around $300 million a year.
California junior colleges were free, back in 1969 when I graduated from h.s. General opinion was you got what you paid for.
Have the casinos begun paying taxes yet or is all that still tied up in court? How about worker's comp reform? THAT was lost in court, IIRC.
When I started at Long Beach State, tuition was $104 per semester. Community College at that time was free, except for a $5 health fee. That was in the late 70s.
I do business on many California college campuses. There are already too many "professional" JC students. Making it free would worsen the problem.
Remember, when a high-school diploma meant something?
Making an AA or AS free, will make it as useless a piece of paper as a HS diploma
Where am I at now? In a computer chip factory, making about twelve bucks an hour with my shift differential, doing a job for which the only necessary educational requirement is a high school diploma. At least my technical degree proved to my employer that I was still trainable, even though I'm fifty. It was a waste of money, and time. And that was with me taking something potentially useful, what about all the jerks who take courses in crap that will never mean anything to anybody, anywhere?
I hate being the straight man all the time. :-}
Just silly
Community colleges also train auto mechanics, HVAC techs, paralegals, chefs, and other light-blue collar workers.
It benefits society when people have an education. It is one of the few social programs I fully support. Plus... this can backfire on Democrats. Educated people tend to be more conservative.
Ahh, but can we afford Mr. Westly?
Fully agree with another poster - the institution of academia is aiming us toward a society that requires a BA to flip 'burgers...especially since it no longer seems necessary to speak English to graduate from ANY level of schooling in Kalifornia.
It's economy has since spiraled out of control.
I agree it has turned into one helluva way to run a state into the mud and then demand politicians fix it.
Pay me so I get enrolled on the internet. You can get a degree in two weeks if you pay the admission.
So then what happens when non-college bound people ask for an in-kind $1,600 subsidy for vocational training. It's not fair for only the community college kids to get the handout.
-PJ
I agree, fair is fair. VoTech is getting a lot more attention of recent in the budget if I recall correctly.
No problemo,, Californians are rich, yaknow. How else can we afford free educations for what seems like half of mexico's population that have come here the last 30 years?
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