Kevin Peyton / Roundup
Being a student is becoming increasingly difficult.
As many of us already know, the cost of units for community colleges around the state has increased from $20 per unit to $26 per unit over the summer.
The increase is an effect of the new state budget, which was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on July 28, 2009, according to the Pierce College website.
The $6 increase per unit equates to a total of $72 per semester for a full-time student who is taking a total of 12 units.
To some, that may not seem like much, but for students who work numerous hours at low paying jobs to support their education, that is hard-earned money that could have gone towards other expenses, such as textbooks, a semester ago.
We students have enough to worry about as it is, such as meeting homework deadlines and studying for exams. The tuition increase is just going to add stress into students lives.
Even though I was not pleased with the tuition increase, I thought there would be a positive way to look at the situation.
I thought it would help act as a deterrent towards the students who do not take their education seriously.
You know the kind of students I am talking about. The students who show up to class every fourth meeting, the students who view going to class strictly as a social event and who distract the students around them who are actually attempting to get an education.
I thought without these students taking up what seems to be increasingly valuable seats (considering summer session B was cancelled), there would likely be more roster spots available for the students who have a good work ethic and have dreams of a better future.
However, due to students being denied enrollment into California State Universities and University of California schools, along with the high unemployment rate, the demand for community college courses is on the rise.
Tuition increases will never put a smile on a student’s face, but there is one thing that students attending Pierce College and other community colleges around the state should keep in mind: $26 per unit is still a very reasonable price for higher education considering that the old price of $20 per unit was once the lowest in the country.
For the students who are unaware, there is a possible way for students not to have to pay the tuition fees. Certain students may be eligible for a fee waiver through Financial Aid. The students who were granted 2009-2010 fee waiver were not affected by the tuition icrease.
There is a Financial Aid office located on the Pierce College campus for students who are interested in inquiring whether they are elibile to recieve Financial Aid.
For students who are undecided on whether they should continue their education due to the increase in tuition, my first advice to you would be to apply for Financial Aid. For those students who are not eligible for Financial Aid, my advice would be to not let an extra $6 per unit limit what you can do and where you can go in life.