Community Colleges Face Crisis

They are the 'economic engine of the state and the nation'

A perfect storm of trouble is brewing at San Diego's community colleges. The colleges are getting fewer dollars from the state. Yet, because of the bad economy, more people are returning to college. So, the colleges are trying to teach more students with less money.
There are eight community colleges in San Diego County and they are trying to serve as many students as they can, according to Sunny Cooke, PhD, president of Grossmont College in El Cajon.

“We are definitely feeling the pinch,” said Cooke. “We have a lot of people who have been shut out of the state’s university system as well as people who have lost their job.”

Transfer students are facing some difficulties. “They may not get their first school of choice, but they are likely to get a school of choice,” she said. “They may have to look out of state and may have to look online.”

“It will get better. All the community colleges in the region and in the state are trying to keep their doors as open as possible,” she said. “We know we are the economic engine of the state and the nation.”

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