Sept. 9, 2013 might just be the end of college education for some, as Assembly Bill-955 was passed.
AB-955 will not only greatly increase the cost per unit in the California Community College system, but it would also limit the courses that can be covered by financial aid and grant money and also create a new priority system.
According to its author Assemblyman Das Williams, AB-955 was designed to increase the number of workers with college degrees, through the massive budget cuts the state has been forced to endure. It is Williams’ stance that this bill will actually increase the number of students who graduate.
Many students of the California Community College system are part of this system because of the financial toll that most four-year colleges take. Not only would students be paying rates similar to that of University California East Bay, but classes eligible for Cal Grant assistance and fee waivers would also be limited.
In order to make real changes, there needs to be a proactive movement, maybe even a total overhaul. At Las Positas College, building was recently completed on state of the art classrooms that are useless since the education system cannot afford to staff the facilities in a reasonable manner. This paradigm is exactly what’s wrong with the system. And altering student fees at a few schools isn’t going to help. It only punishes students in a few places for the misconduct of the state legislature.
It is the responsibility of the college system (through guidance counselors) to inform us of the benefits included in certain fields of study. It is not, however, the responsibility of the state to demand that its students achieve higher learning in fields the government believes are of greater importance.
As students, it is our basic duty to take a stand for what it right. Not just for us, but for our children, and even for our parents, as many college students are only able to attend college with family help. Without changes at all levels of legislation, the year 2030 may roll around with college not being a reality for twice the number of Americans that it is already a mere fable to.
For some members of the LPC campus, college at any level was far beyond the realm of statistical probabilities. But nonetheless, some of those students show up and work hard. Without serious changes—instead of negating and manipulating basic information—those less fortunate students will never be able to see the inside of what higher education is about.
The beauty of the modern economy is that it is flexible. With enough support, once thriving industries can be overturned almost overnight. There is always room for the educated in the work world, no matter what education they have.