<p>"SAN FRANCISCO - It isn't just tuition increases that are driving up the cost of college. Around the country, deep budget cuts are forcing colleges to lay off instructors and eliminate some classes, making it harder for students to get into the courses they need to earn their degree.</p>
<p>The likely result: more time in college.....</p>
<p>Policymakers right up to President Barack Obama have been calling on public colleges to move students through more efficiently, and some have been doing so. But experts say any recent progress is threatened by unprecedented state budget cuts that have trimmed course offerings.</p>
<p>"They will not graduate on time. I hope they will graduate at all," said David Baggins, who as chairman of political science at Cal State University-East Bay has been bombarded with requests for spots in already packed classes.</p>
<p>"Before," Baggins said, "there was always a way to help the student who really needed help." This year, "all I can do is say no."</p>
<p>Some students struggle for places in the core entry-level classes such as composition and math because the part-time instructors who typically teach those courses are the first to be laid off in tough times. Other students are shut out of crowded core courses in their majors by upperclassmen. Some upperclassmen face an even tougher road: The upper-level classes they need have been cut entirely because they aren't popular enough.</p>
<p>A federal study of 1999-2000 graduates found it takes students roughly 4.5 years on average to earn a bachelor's degree. About two-thirds of traditional-age college students who finished got through within five. A study of 2009 graduates is not yet complete.</p>
<p>In the 450,000-student California State system the nation's largest public university system the average is longer, in part because of large numbers of low-income, part-time and transfer students..." College</a> cuts make it harder to earn degrees - Education- msnbc.com</p>
<p>I also wonder if the popularity of co-op programs is causing an increase in how long it takes some kids to graduate. It may not be a huge impact, but co-oping (sp??) is getting to be so popular over several different majors to help with costs. Co-op programs usually add at least one year (maybe two) to the undergrad program.</p>
<p>Interesting article. Standing-room-only classes? I can’t imagine going through that.</p>
<p>I always thought that one reason some students take more than 4 years to graduate from college was because they changed their major a few times.</p>
<p>Out here in Calif, the crisis is extending into the community college system. The waiting list for some general-ed classes is now larger than the class enrollment. In the past, many California students chose to get a cost-effective degree from UC or CSU by taking the first 2 years at a community college and then transferring. That’s getting harder and harder, and not just at the UC/CSU end.</p>
<p>One community college official said that class size used to be determined by what the professor and department thought was optimum for learning. In some cases, class size is now determined by fire regulations.</p>
<p>I don’t think people take more than 4 years b/c they can’t get into classes. In my experience it’s because most people switch majors or fail out of a certain major and switch to another one. Then they have to retake some classes pushing them a semester or year behind.</p>
<p>One of the reasons my son chose a private college instead of the state school he was admitted to was the potential to be shut out of classes he needed. A side benefit to the paying parents was the cost at the private school was about the same as the public school and maybe even less since he will graduate in four years at the private school.</p>
<p>It’s particularly affecting the universities in California, the UCs to be more specific. They have been experiencing dramatic tuition hikes recently. I’m not too sure of the percentage, but it’s around 13% over the last two years, if my memory serves me correctly. Not good news for college hopefuls, when tuition increases, and financial aid decreases. I sense the trend will only continue nationwide.</p>
<p>It’s really bad in California. My daughter was registered to take a class at a local CC this summer and they canceled the whole session. UC and CSU tuition is rising quickly, classes are being cut. A young woman I work with is at a CSU and she has to deal with 2 weeks of furlough days in each of her classes. So they have to cram in the material in 2 fewer weeks.</p>
<p>We are thrilled that our daughter is at an out of state school (Big Ten). I recently learned that in the language she is studying, albeit a pretty obscure one, the beginning class has one (ONE!) student. Yet this class is happening. Talk about bang for your buck. And out of state tuition only went up about 5.5%.</p>
<p>Her scholarship, combined with the tuition hikes in California, makes COA about the same as a UC and if the trend in California continues, cheaper. Also, if she does not graduate in 4 years, it’s her fault, not the school’s.</p>
<p>My son attends a Big 10 school (Indiana University at Bloomington) instead of going to a in-state California college. Originally, the COA seemed to be out-of-whack when comparing it to an in-state school. However, his school, IU-B, guarantees that if a student is unable to graduate within 4 years because the school didn’t offer the necessary course(s) to do so, they will waive the tuition costs to complete the chosen major. </p>
<p>This didn’t seem like such a big deal a few years ago, but I’m quite glad for this guarantee now–especially since there are only 25 students graduating this year in his chosen major (Business Administration-Legal Studies)–and he will be one of those. The school did offer all the courses he needs to graduate and he will be finishing college within 4 years;–very necessary, considering I was out-of work for approximately 3 months this year, and his mother has had her work hours reduced as well.</p>
<p>P.S. I now work as the fiscal manager for one of the state’s largest high school districts–and the budget crisis for them is just as dramatic–although the federal stimulus funds have delayed their “final day of reckoning” until July of next year.</p>
<p>While I appreciate you posting this article, you misrepresent what the article actually says. The article says the UCs are thinking of charging more for undergraduates majors in engineering and business; it doesn’t say that UCLA is charging more for undergraduate business majors. The article is unclear as to whether they are planning to charge more for graduate business programs.</p>
<p>It would be quite impossible for UCLA to make any money by increasing tuition for undergraduate business majors, considering UCLA doesn’t allow you to major in an undergraduate business program (one can only minor in undergraduate accounting). </p>
<p>There are full-fledged undergraduate business programs where one can major in the discipline at UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC Riverside,and UC Merced only.</p>
<p>P.S. I received my MBA from UCLA’s graduate business (Anderson) school, and therefore am quite familiar with the school’s offerings.</p>
<p>I just checked and its a minimum of 120; some majors require more. 13 x 2 = 26 credits per year. Not enough credits to graduate in 4 years, absent summer school or taking courses elsewhere. </p>
<p>I don’t have a child at San Marcos, but my neighbor does, and she was complaining about this.</p>
<p>Longer time to graduate means more tuition fees means more profit for the school - at that point, I would consider changing to a part time student and finding a job in the meanwhile.</p>
<p>“In the 450,000-student California State system the nation’s largest public university system the average is longer, in part because of large numbers of low-income, part-time and transfer students…”</p>
<p>What an insult to low income students. These students are ones who typically get the most financial aid, tutoring, and collegiate perks, yet their presence is cited as a reason for longer average graduation rates. Either the article is way off base, or it identifies a subset of the college student body that the admissions committee is just wrong for admitting. Afterall, part of the admissions committee function is to identify and admit students that are low risk to drop out and have a high probability of graduating on time. </p>
<p>I wonder which it is- is the article wrong, or ad. com’s dragging down the overall quality of their schools by admitting students who shouldn’t be there?</p>
<p>One BIG problem that the Cal States have is that they accept kids who are not qualified for college-level work. Approximately 50% of matriculating Frosh require remedial math and/or english classes. At some Cal State campuses, NINETY percent of the matriculating Frosh require remediation. The point is that they didn’t obtain this knowledge in HS (for whatever reason); thus, the four-year clock should not start ticking until remediation is complete. </p>
<p>Just think how many more collegiate-level courses the colleges could offer if they weren’t remediating.</p>
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<p>Only if you infer it that way. The Cal States (and UCs) have poor finaid. Thus, low income kids (of which there are plenty) HAVE to work part time while attending college. But the simple fact is that many of them also help to support their nuclear family. so 30-40 hours working each week is not uncommon. Such kids typically take a minimum course load (or less) which means that they cannot graduate in four years.</p>