The problem?
Deep budget cuts are forcing colleges to lay off instructors and eliminate basic classes.  Less teachers and classes, but more returning students is making it harder to get into the courses so they can graduate on time.

More time in college doesn’t necessarily mean “more fun” to some students. It literally can mean “time is money.” And they’re losing a lot of both. In some schools, wait-listed students actually take turns standing closest to a lecture hall door so they could hear the lesson and not fall too far behind. That is, if there was any way they could get in the class in the first place.

Tough times means plenty of tough lessons
College budget cuts are becoming a bigger problem, because they hit core entry-level courses hardest, first. Students struggle to reserve seats in the core entry-level classes such as math 101 because the part-time instructors who typically teach those courses are the first to be laid off when budgets run low. Other students are shut out of crowded core courses in their majors by upperclassmen, which are usually preferred for first spots.

A perfect example of this would be the 23-campus California State higher education system. In response to a 20% budget cut, officials have raised tuition more than 30%, increased class sizes by up to a third, and quickly laid off hundreds of teachers, while slashing curriculum.

It’s about more than just money
Money isn’t necessarily the only problem. Some experts argue that traditional colleges and universities focus too much on prestigious but unessential graduate programs at the expense of the undergrad basics. Because many schools have now pushed their professors to their working limits and every class spot has been taken, some students say they are out of choices.

Sherrie Canedo, a fifth-year senior at Cal State-East Bay, was recently told she could finish her ethnic studies degree through independent study because most of the courses she needs were eliminated.

“I don’t feel that’s an acceptable way to learn,” Canedo told Terence Chea of the Associated Press, and added that she’s working two jobs and trying to string together enough financial aid to finish her education. “I’m paying to be taught in a classroom.”

Is your local college enduring budget cuts that make it harder for you to get an education? Use the powerful search engine at Career Explorer to find local career colleges that may accept your transfer credits. We’re here to help!