In Their Own Words
Cesar Cota is the first in his family to attend college and dreams of going on to a four year school. He says, "Community colleges mean a lot to me and my family, but now it's hard to achieve my dream because the state put higher fees on us, and cut services and classes."
Tina Vinaja is a mother of three teenagers who's going back to school to get a better job and set an example for her children. Her husband had to take a weekend job to help pay for his wife's tuition hikes.
David Robinson is an automotive student who has worked since he was 14, and says community college is training for a well-paying job. "I'm trying to learn a trade to better myself. But by cutting these programs and raising fees, you're cutting opportunity for a lot of people who need it."
Monica Mejia, a low-income single mom, wants to be independent and support her kids with a good paying job. "Without community colleges, I'll end up getting paid minimum wage. I can't afford the fee hikes. I can barely make ends meet now," she said.
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Staff
Coordinator Zack Knorr:
Brings His Activism Full Circle
Teresa Cheng:
Bringing Leadership to the Campaign
Mindy Chen:
Bringing Years of Experience to the Campaign
Community Colleges are Critical to California's Future
- Community Colleges are essential to workforce development and our economy, and a lifeline to opportunity for 2.9 million students throughout our state. These are California's future teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses, skilled technicians, mechanics, and child care workers, along with the next generation of UC and CSU students.
- One Community College district educates almost three times as many Latino students and nearly four times as many African American students as all of the UC campuses combined. Nearly ¼ of all Chicanas and Chicanos who receive doctorates first attend a Community College.
- More than 70% of students taking college classes in California are taking them at Community Colleges.
- The national average for public two–year colleges is almost four times the amount charged by California Community Colleges.
- Community Colleges are cost effective when comparing what is spent per student. Community Colleges spend $5,461; CSU spends $11,624; and UC spends $18,203.
California Has Shut the Doors of Opportunity by Neglecting Community Colleges
- Over the past decade, California Community College fee levels for credit courses have fluctuated between $11 and $26 per unit. The combination of fee increases and budget cuts have resulted in enrollment declines of up to 315,000 students and a loss of more than 12,000 courses over the past few years.
- Your fees don't benefit the Community Colleges. Unlike UC and CSU, the revenue gained from Community College fees go to the state's general fund, not the individual college. Twenty years ago, the Community Colleges didn't charge fees. The Legislature enacted a fee system to gain revenue for the state, not to support Community Colleges.
- The California State Budget 2008-2009 cut all funding to COLA no longer ensuring that each pupil is provided a standards-aligned textbook or basic instructional materials.
- The state has shortchanged Community Colleges billions of dollars they are constitutionally-guaranteed under Proposition 98. This proposition passed in 1988 established a minimum funding level for K-12 and Community Colleges - about 40 percent of the state's budget. The colleges haven't received their 10.93% percent share of that money in more than a decade.
- Over the last 10 years, Community Colleges have been shortchanged $3 billion. Comparing the 2008-09 Budget Act to the Governor’s proposed 2009-10 budget for Community Colleges, the cut in general apportionment reaches over $100,000.
- Community Colleges have been perennially weak politically. In Sacramento, UC, CSU, and K-12 have much more clout with the Legislature. But we're starting to change that, and you can help by joining the fight.
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Who We Are
