Elizabeth Wilson
Record-Bee staff
LAKE COUNTY ? More local students than ever are seeking a college education, but high costs mean attending a four-year university may not be feasible for some.
That”s why students are turning in record numbers to get their first two years of education completed at one of Lake County”s two community college”s ? Yuba College has experienced a three percent increase in enrollment from last year, and Mendocino College is up nearly five percent. Each year the numbers climb, school officials say.
It makes sense to local students, who pay approximately $780 in yearly fees for full-time enrollment at one of the state”s 109 community college campuses. Compare that with the $7,300 in yearly fees it costs to attend one of the 10 UC campuses, and $2,520 in fees to attend one of the 23 CSU”s, and the savings are clear.
Books, transportation, meals, other fees and the high housing costs in California jump the price of a UC to over $20,000 and CSU to approximately $16,000.
According to Yuba College counselor Pamela Bordisso, along with educating students about the extensive financial aid that is available in the form of scholarships, Pell grants and other funding options, a main goal of the campus is to educate the community on how to afford college.
Over the summer, many students participated in a high school-to-college readiness program, learning study skills that help them prepare for college-level work.
The local community colleges will also be present at the Higher Education Week the last week in Sept., hosted by the Lake County Office of Education College-Going Initiative Program. During the week, the local community colleges as well as many UC and CSU representatives will visit local high schools, conducting financial aid and other workshops and answering questions about college.
Bordisso also visits local high schools, and plans to take a couple of students with her. “I think a lot of kids graduate from high school and want to get out of their home town, so I really want to take Matt or one of the other students who came here out of high school to talk to them about how a local community college might be a better plan,” said Bordisso.
Matt Parks, a 2007 Lower Lake High School graduate, participated in the college-readiness program over the summer and received A”s in his summer school courses. He is attending Yuba College this fall and plans to complete his general education requirements in two years before heading off to a CSU or UC.
According to Bordisso, most students attending the summer readiness program received Pell grants from $1,000 to $1,400, depending on their eligibility. For Parks, summer session was a great way to transition from high school to carrying a full load of units this fall at Yuba, and he says he is glad to remain close to home for two years. “It”s so convenient to go here, and I”ll save a lot of money. I really like the location, the prices, and the fact that there are a lot of small classes,” said Parks.
With approximately 800-900 students who are enrolled each semester at the Clear Lake campus, the small student body is friendly and most know each other by name, students say. Students focus on community by throwing bake sales, car washes, and other activities to raise scholarship money for students to buy books.
This week, a root beer float party is planned, and students hope to put a group together in the near future to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. At the upcoming Bluegrass Festival in Sept., students will have a food booth and an informational booth promoting education.
Students get a chance at leadership in events and fund raisers while also promoting education as part of the Clear Lake Associated Students, a group that represents and involves the entire student body.
One student felt the pull out of the county as many recent high school graduates do. “I was down in Santa Rosa at the JC for one year, but I was tired of the traffic, and the living expenses were way higher, so I came back,” said Steven Pulido of Lower Lake, who plans to transfer to Sacramento State next spring.
“I think the pricing is better here, and they offer the same courses. The class times fit in with my work schedule,” said Pulido, who takes 13 units on top of a 40-hour work week.
Popular at both Yuba and Mendocino Colleges are vocational programs that train students in everything from welding, nursing, early childhood education and more. The culinary arts program at Yuba College filled up its classes early, and is expanding its program each year.
Full-time Chef Robert Cabreros instructs students on basic food preparation, restaurant operations, sanitation, and advanced catering. “My classes were all full early this year, I have 25 students in each,” said Cabreros, who added that his students gain valuable catering experience working with local wineries at various events throughout the year. They will cater at the Wine Alliance annual fund raiser this October.
New vocational programs are added each year at community colleges. Students can make a lucrative career out of two years of training. Graduates of the mechanics and welding programs at Yuba College typically make around $25 per hour, according to Bordisso.
Students enrolled in a new Yuba College administration of justice program who practiced firearms training at the Highland Springs shooting range this week include correctional officers from Tehama County who need training, as well as 10 students hoping to become correctional officers upon graduation from the program.
On Wednesday, students at the shooting range whooped and hollered as they finished up the firearms segment of their training, their faces beaming and red from the 100-plus degree weather. “You can just see it in their faces that they are so proud and excited to be doing something that will lead to a great career,” said Bordisso.
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