Sunday Viewpoint: College in the time of recession
IN THESE stormy economic times, the Peralta Community College District is tossing a vital lifeline to local students. The four Peralta Colleges -- College of Alameda, Berkeley City College, Merritt and Laney Colleges in Oakland -- teach 30,000 students each semester, and are finding new and innovative ways to help local students transform their lives through education.
Demand for public higher education has never been higher. Budgets are tight and, increasingly, the cost of private college is not an option.
Meanwhile, workers ravaged by the recession are looking to higher education to retool their job skills or learn a new trade.
Private college tuition can exceed $40,000 annually, while private vocational colleges often charge $17,000 or more.
Even public university prices are rising beyond the ability of many families to pay. For example, annual fees at the University of California Berkeley are $12,460. And tuition alone at California State University East Bay costs $5,091.
The cost of an education at the Peralta Colleges remains remarkably affordable despite recent increases. At only $26 per unit, the annual tuition for a full-time resident student is under $700. This is extraordinarily low and represents an
Education Secretary Arne Duncan also spoke to organizers of a Merritt College program that helps black men get through school.
Education Blog: Alameda County | Contra Costa County
