Talon Marks Online News
Students hoping to attend California State University might face a freeze on enrollment in the spring and a wait-list for all applicants next fall if a proposed tax initiative fails in the November elections.
With most of the CSU system unavailable, community college students are likely to be effected from applicants to graduates.
“Its going to effect us in two ways, ” Marilyn Brock, interim vice president of academic affairs, said. “The first part impacts freshmen and students wishing to transfer here. The increased demand is going to make it even harder to get enrolled.
“The second part will effect juniors and seniors wishing to transfer to CSU. It could delay their transfers.”
The decision pressures voters to pass the tax initiative. It’s failure could deny access to California’s largest public university system to tens of thousands of students. The initiative, backed by Gov. Brown, is designed to avoid trigger cuts to the states colleges and universities by increasing taxes.
CSUs are positioning themselves to deal with the possible reduction in funding if the bill fails.
The majority of CSU’s 23 campuses won’t be accepting any new students under the plan. But eight campuses will accept only a few hundred students transferring from community colleges for the spring 2013 semester, according to The Los Angeles Times.
With access to the CSU system reduced and possibly denied, many students are likely to look to community colleges as their best chance for advanced education.
“We will see a definite increase of students coming to community colleges as their first choice,” said Brock. “It will increase enrollment on a system that is already over burdened.”
While CSU finalize and revise the details of their plan, administrations from community colleges like Cerritos have to react not only to the university but also to their own shrinking budgets.
Students wanting to attend either community colleges or the university will find enrolling similar to a game of musical chairs with more players than chairs. When the school bells ring, some students will be left standing.
“The only thing we can do to help is give the best advise possible based on the rule of the day,” Brock said. “CSU keeps changing the rules. We’ll keep current and make sure the student have the most up-to-date information available.”
At this point community colleges and students are forced to react as CSU continues to adjust to a $750 million budget reduction so far and if the possibility of $200 million more cuts if the tax initiative fails.
“If I were to offer advice to the students right now, I’d recommend three things; early registration, take as many units as you can academically handle, and stay enrolled,” Brock said. “It will be much harder to get back in than to stay in.”
