Bayzha Gonzalez knew she needed the summer to take a general education astronomy course a few years ago, but cost was an issue. Poly’s summer classes were out of her price range, so the graphic communication junior decided to enroll in Cuesta’s summer session.
“It was cheaper and easier to take it at Cuesta,” Gonzalez said. “It was one of the easiest classes I’ve ever taken.”
Gonzales said in total, the four-unit course cost her around $300. If she were to enroll in Cal Poly’s 2012 summer session, the same number of units would now cost her $1,156.
With the California budget crisis putting pressure on students to pay more for their educations, schools are looking for ways to conserve funds during summer for the regular school year.
This year, fees for the summer session have risen again. In 2010, undergraduates paid $130 per summer unit. In 2011, that amount was raised to $209. For Summer 2012, undergraduate student fees will be $289 per unit; graduate and credential student fees will be $319 per unit.
There will only be one eight-week session offered to teach these classes, which are being offered in self-support, meaning there will be no state funding for students. Financial aid may still be available, but Cal Poly’s summer school website states that by asking students to pay out of pocket, they will be able to take in the same size freshman class in fall.
A 2010 ruling by the Superior Court of Alameda County allows schools to offer special sessions in self-support, which eliminates state funding for that session. After the ruling, Cal Poly decided to use Continuing Education as the financial mechanism for summer sessions, according to a 2010 presentation to the Academic Senate.
Elaine Sullivan, the marketing director for Cal Poly Continuing Education, wrote in an email student fees provide the funding.
“In the simplest terms, student fees for a class must cover all costs involved in providing that class,” Sullivan wrote. “No matter what term a student enrolls in: fall, winter, spring or summer, a student who does not qualify for financial aid would always pay whatever costs are required.”
Cal Poly is not offering the most expensive summer session, though: San Jose State undergraduate students can expect to pay $388 per unit, and Fresno State will cost $315 per unit.
Patricia-Ann Stoneman, the director of Academic Programs for Cal Poly Continuing Education, wrote in an email that despite the apparent high prices, summer school can be financially manageable.
“We believe summer term fees are more financially accessible,” Stoneman wrote. “Students will pay a per-unit rate, and therefore, can enroll in the courses they can afford to take. If summer terms through self-support were not available it is possible summer courses would not be available and then student graduation dates would be affected.”
The Institutional Planning and Analysis Department’s Registration Monitor found that 1,948 students enrolled in Cal Poly’s Summer 2011 term, a 17.4 decrease from 2010, when 2,359 students had enrolled. In 2005, the same department had conducted a Summer Survey Analysis to assess student’s reasons for enrolling in summer term or choosing to use that time to either work or take classes at a community college.
“Enrollment headcount in Summer 2010 was slightly higher, but 2011 and 2012 look like they will be about the same,” Stoneman said.
Community colleges, an alternative for many students looking to catch up without breaking the bank, have also undergone a recent fee hike from $36 to $46 per unit. The $10 increase was supposed to take effect in Spring 2012, but the California Legislature delayed its implementation until summer.
Stoneman said the university is also looking to add additional summer classes online. These are designed to benefit all students, not just those who may be in town over the summer.