The Terminator Tour continues…
At the Peralta Community Colleges hope is starting to become scarce; last year, their budget was cut $13 million. The 20,000 students that attend Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Laney College, and Merritt College have seen teacher and staff lay-offs, 400 classes cut, and class sizes increased from 20 to 40 students.
EBYD Member and President of the Peralta Community College Board of Trustees, Abel Guilen said:
“The Governor is proposing that they do away with the Cal Grant program. That affects 44,000 students in the state of California. Many of our most needy students need that money to get through school. Some students have to make the decision whether or not they’re going to be able to pay their rent or childcare. Some students are even opting to bring their children to class because they just can’t afford to pay a sitter.” Click here for the entire interview
Marlene Hurd, former Senator for the Student Senate for California Community Colleges said:
“One of the things that I witness a lot is students lining up for financial aid and those lines get long. What I see are students who need this service and can’t get it. Where do those students go? Some of them may end up dropping out of school and maybe they’re right at the end about to graduate and they need that extra cushion to pull them through.” Click here for the entire interview
More students are opting to attend community college because of the increase in tuition at California State and University of California higher education institutions. Students wanting to attend community college will now have to compete with students who would normally attend 4-year universities or decide not to attend college at all.
Nakia Dillard, a student who is looking forward to transferring to SF State in the Fall said, “It’s going to be really hard for our youth to have hope if our Governor is putting these budget cuts on education and making it harder for youth to get into college. It’s really hard to get jobs, it’s sad to say (students) might turn to the streets and other negative ways to make money…they have to make a living somehow.” Click here for the entire interview
For every dollar California invests to get students in and through college, the state’s economy receives a $3 net return on investment. For every dollar spent on economic and workforce development programs at Community Colleges, there is a $12 increase in California’s business income and employee wages.
Students, staff, and administrators are holding their breaths after hearing Schwarzenegger’s latest budget boondoggle.
If you are a student, former student, or a person who cares about education you can submit your story online at http://www.terminatortourca.org/.
