California’s community colleges are experiencing an increase in student enrollment in part because of the tuition fee reduction.

In the beginning of the 2007 spring semester, Skyline College student enrollment fees were reduced from $26 to $20 dollars per unit. The fee reduction- approved by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the State Legislature- is likely to encourage students to enter the community colleges, said Mark Drummond, chancellor of California community colleges, in a press release. According to the Skyline College Enrollment Report, there was a two percent increase of students enrolled in the spring of 2007 compared to fall of 2006.

“Traditionally there is an increase of students in the fall semester and a decrease of students in the spring,” said Lori Adrian, vice president of student services. “We have not yet done a study on the impact of the lower fees of the student enrollment for spring 2007,” Adrian said. She also said that it was too early to tell whether there was an increase in student enrollment at Skyline College due to the fee reduction.

The rest of the California community colleges noticed an increase of student enrollment as well. According to the Chancellor’s Office Press Release, recent reporting from community colleges indicates an increase of 3.31 percent in full time students for the 2006-07 academic year compared to 2005-06.

“With fees down from $26 to $20 per unit this semester and with the colleges being funded to restore classes and services, we are pleased to be able to meet the needs of more Californians and that’s very good news,” Drummond said.

Amber Reilly, a Skyline College student majoring in nursing, didn’t even notice the unit fee decrease.

“I noticed I was paying less and I didn’t know why…but I’m not complaining,” Reilly said. She also commented that although the unit fee prices decreased, it really doesn’t affect her financially. But as soon as she finishes her prerequisites and enrolls in the respiratory therapy program, it will definitely affect her.

Melvin Cano, a criminal justice major at Skyline College, has a different opinion on the decreased cost per unit.

“I noticed the decrease in the cost of units, but it didn’t make me want to take more classes,” Cano said. “It just pretty much gave me relief in what I was paying for before. When I first enrolled at Skyline two years ago, the price per unit was $11 and the $6 decrease from last semester isn’t much of a difference.