Raising the community college tuition from $18 to $26 per unit brings in more money to the state, but gives little back to students and local colleges, EC public relations and marketing director Ann Garten said.

As a result of California’s budget crisis, fees have been raised $15 within the past two years.

Whereas students used to pay $11 per unit to take a class at EC, they now pay $26.

Although it is not necessarily due to the increased tuition, applications for financial aid are more numerous this semester, Bebe Moura, assistant in the financial aid deparment, said.

“I’ve had more people ask for applications than ever before,” Moura said.

While most of the money goes back to the state, EC does receive a small portion that is used to benefit the college and its students, Garten said.

“El Camino is growing; we receive money for that, which is how we are able to add more counselors, financial aid technicians, and there have been forty to fifty new classes added this semester,” Garten said.

There will also be a winter semester this year, Garten said.

Garten was among most on campuswho were against the raise in tuition since last February, when it passed through legislation.

“I think it’s unfortunate that students pay more. The fee’s gone up significantly and a good part of the money is being used at the state level,” Garten said.

“It’s not fair to students,” she said.

“Students should not be taxed, or at least the money should be kept at a local level where the colleges may use the money to benefit students,” Garten said.

“I was upset because I didn’t want to pay the money,” Nicole Adams, radiology major, said.

Adams said she would prefer the money to be used to “clean up the campus.”

The 2004 fall semester has more students enrolled than ever, Garten said.

Charlotte Whittaker, prelaw major, said that EC is still the best school in the state for both its financial practicality and the excellent courses offered.

“It’s ridiculous that our tuition has been raised from $18 to $26,” Whittaker said.

“Yet, it is so much less expensive than anywhere else in the country and any UC, that I still feel privileged to be living in California and being able to attend El Camino,” she said.

Areta Pearson, EC student, was unaware of the raise in tuition fees and found the increase “shocking.”

Despite the higher fee, Pearson attends EC because the campus location is convenient for her.

It is known to have a high standard of teaching, she said.

“The level of education is worthwhile,” Pearson said.

“The price is worth the amount of education you can receive at El Camino.”