Summer Session Drops Fees to Boost Off-Season Enrollment

From the New University — March 12, 2001
By Bhavina Gopal

An unprecedented number of students will be entering the UC system in the next decade and officials are worried that they will not be able to accommodate them. Therefore, UC Summer Session will be lowering their fees in order to encourage summer school enrollment. The new fee is $76 per unit, which is a reduction of $9 per unit and is applicable to both UC and non-UC students.

In a statewide effort to encourage students to take summer school, the state has allocated $13.8 million for all UC schools to reduce fees.

In addition to a reduction in unit fees, registration fees have also been reduced from $85 to $25 for UC students. Non-UC students will actually have an increase in registration fees. The new registration fee for non-UC students is $100, which is an increase of $15.

"In the next decade, we expect UC's general campus enrollment to increase by 63,000 full-time equivalent students. To accommodate this high number, we have received state funding to support the summer session as another quarter," said Karen Crawford, director of Summer Session.

According to Crawford, in addition to subsidizing summer school fees, there is hope that increased state funding will result in increased financial aid in the future. All of these measures are in hopes that students will take advantage of the reduced tuition fee, which will eventually help accommodate the rising amount of college age students.

"There will be additional incentives for students who enroll in summer school. These included entering to win free parking permits, computers, tutoring and bookstore gift certificates," said Kimberly Towle, marketing representative for UC Summer Session.

Starting April 4, students will be able to enroll at a registration table set up at the Student Center. Enrollment will take place between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and prize drawings will occur here as well. Enrollment for summer school actually begins March 12, but the tables are being set up as an added convenience, Crawford said.

Session 1 begins June 25 and goes through Aug. 1, and Session 2 begins Aug. 6, and goes through Sept. 12.

With all the incentives to encourage summer school enrollment, some students are still not convinced.

"I wouldn't take summer school no matter what because I think it's ridiculous to go to school during the summer," said fourth-year ICS major Ari Basu.

Others, however, believed that the reduced tuition would be an encouragement to enroll in summer school sessions.

"It makes a big difference because that extra money can go towards parking or gas," said third-year ICS major Pooja Lohia. "I think the lower fees and new incentives will motivate students to take summer school."