The issue:
The current state budget is not allowing enough students to get an educaton
Our stand:
The possible solution to our funding crisis is to raise student fees and allow students to more to pay for college

Dear Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger:
College students throughout the state of California are learning the hard way that education is being put on the back burner.
We understand that the economy is currently in a bad state and there is no clear way of solving the problem.
But with students having trouble just finding employment to pay for college, we feel something has to change.
Currently, our campus has more than the maximum students that it gets reimbursed for from the state.
Last fall and spring terms, our community college had an average student rate of 25,000 students, but only about 19,000 of that total were funded.
Today we are seeing changes in our enrollment, but there are still 50 students in a classroom that seats only 40.
This is due to the fact our campus cut many courses.
This has also made it difficult for students to get the classes they need to graduate and to receive their degree.
We as a campus have a few suggestions as to how to get the most out of our education with the current problems.
Our first suggestion is to raise fees. It may not be easy for students to afford, but if we were to raise fees, the campus would benefit.
Within the past few years, our college fees went up to $26 a unit to overcome a downturn n the economy. With the economy still in a bad way, we should be able to pay $30 a unit.
In additition to pages $36 a unit, every semester we pay health fees and parking fees for the semester.
If we raise these fees just a $1 more each, we would be getting more than $40,000 for the college to use.
Another suggestion is to possibly provide some type of work study program on campus to help students raise money for intuition for the school.
This idea would require each student to do some work on campus.
Of course, there would be only limited opportunities for students to take part in such a program, but it would help benefit students and also the campus.
Instead of paying workers to come and help around the campus, by getting the students to pitch in, the college would save money.
We completely understand that right now the state of California is going through some hard economic times, but with people of this state and country continuously getting laid off, there is no other answer but to go back to school
Education is all we can strive for during this time and if our campuses have to close doors on students because there isn’t any funding, the problem is bound to get worse.
Something has to change.
We’re willing to pay more, we’re willing to help pitch in, we just want to save our campus and help keep our doors open.
Sincerely,
El Camino Union Editorial Board