2008 Woodie Awards
Yuba College student body is getting younger
Leanne Garvin
Issue date: 2/23/04 Section: News
A recent report of Yuba College demographics, released by the college's Education Master Plan project team noted that the Yuba College student body population has become increasingly younger. The report showed that Yuba College has seen an approximate 50 percent increase in students aged 18-21 over a four-year period, from Fall 1999 to Spring 2003.
At the end of Fall 1999, Yuba College had 2,402 students in the 18-21 year-old age range, which has steadily increased over the four-year period to 3,469 students at the end of Spring 2003. Students in the 18-21 year-old range now make up 33 percent of the total Yuba College student population as opposed to 23 percent of the total population in Fall 1999.
This means that it is becoming increasingly popular for high school seniors in this area to choose a community college over a California State University or a University of California directly after graduation. Area high school counselors have also seen a similar trend in the students they meet and advise.
Marysville High School Senior Counselor Wilma Lervis said, "Its all financial. It's becoming so expensive for these kids to attend a UC or CSU and as the cost increase, more (students) are going to attend Yuba instead."
Wheatland High School Counselor Patricia Agles, shared a similar point of view. "Community Colleges are becoming increasingly the best quality option for seniors straight from high school," she said "It's much cheaper, and you'll be taking the same classes as you would be at a CSU of UC at the same quality of learning."
Agles, who had two of her own children attend a community college from high school, continued, "In some ways, the classes at community college are of better quality than at a CSU or UC, because the classes are usually smaller."
As reported in the July 16, 2003 Sacramento Business Journal, the CSU systems increased their student fees by 30 percent and the UC systems increase by 25 percent. The systems will both be considering further cuts and fee increases if budget situations do not improve.
At the end of Fall 1999, Yuba College had 2,402 students in the 18-21 year-old age range, which has steadily increased over the four-year period to 3,469 students at the end of Spring 2003. Students in the 18-21 year-old range now make up 33 percent of the total Yuba College student population as opposed to 23 percent of the total population in Fall 1999.
This means that it is becoming increasingly popular for high school seniors in this area to choose a community college over a California State University or a University of California directly after graduation. Area high school counselors have also seen a similar trend in the students they meet and advise.
Marysville High School Senior Counselor Wilma Lervis said, "Its all financial. It's becoming so expensive for these kids to attend a UC or CSU and as the cost increase, more (students) are going to attend Yuba instead."
Wheatland High School Counselor Patricia Agles, shared a similar point of view. "Community Colleges are becoming increasingly the best quality option for seniors straight from high school," she said "It's much cheaper, and you'll be taking the same classes as you would be at a CSU of UC at the same quality of learning."
Agles, who had two of her own children attend a community college from high school, continued, "In some ways, the classes at community college are of better quality than at a CSU or UC, because the classes are usually smaller."
As reported in the July 16, 2003 Sacramento Business Journal, the CSU systems increased their student fees by 30 percent and the UC systems increase by 25 percent. The systems will both be considering further cuts and fee increases if budget situations do not improve.