Like many community college students, Matthew Ramos has learned there's no such thing as one-stop shopping when it comes to his education.
Because statewide budget cuts have forced community colleges to slash classes, Ramos, 20, is taking courses at both Pierce College in Woodland Hills and Los Angeles City College, 20 miles apart. Last semester, he took classes at Pierce and Valley College in Valley Glen.
"It all adds up. I'm spending time and money just commuting there," said Ramos, of Woodland Hills, who wants to become a nurse or radiological technician. "And with gas prices soaring, there's only so much you can do."
He's not alone. Although the Los Angeles Community College District doesn't track how many of its students commute from campus to campus to get the classes they need, officials say they're hearing more stories like his. Budget cuts lopped 130 classes from Pierce's fall schedule, 100 from Valley College's and 70 from Mission College's.
"I see people from Valley coming to Mission," said Baltazar Martinez, 23, of Sylmar, former student body president at Mission. He said he also sees students dividing their time between College of the Canyons and Valley or even among three campuses to get the classes they need.
Those who don't have cars must spend many hours commuting by bus to and from home and from campus to campus, which can take hours, Martinez said.
Ramos' day begins at 8 a.m. with classes at Pierce -- biology and history. He lives at home with his parents to save money and gets to drive his mother's car. His daily routine, however, includes picking up his younger sister, Irene, 16, from St. Genevieve's High School in Panorama City.
Then he's traveling on the 101 Freeway in rush-hour traffic to make his three radiology classes at LACC, which don't end until 10 p.m.
John Mendoza, 21, Woodland Hills, splits his time between a physics class at California State University, Northridge, a history course at Valley College and English and economics classes at Pierce.
"Pierce is too crowded, CSUN is crowded and here, (at Valley College) there are people sitting on the floor waiting to get into a class," said Mendoza, an aspiring lawyer.
"I don't know how he does it; he's in his car all day," said Mendoza's friend, Patty Limon, 18, of North Hollywood.
At Moorpark College in Ventura County, spokeswoman Jeanne Bailey has been fielding phone calls from hopeful students, all asking, "Are you as full as Pierce?" "Can I get an English course over there?"
Tuition at the community colleges also has increased from $11 a credit hour to $18 a credit hour, and students who paid fees earlier in the summer at the lower rate are now being billed for the extra amount.
Pierce College President Darroch "Rocky" Young said he's concerned that some of those students may decide they can't afford the increased fees and drop out, while it is too late for other students to take their spots in those classes.
An additional $7 a credit hour may not sound like much, but "imagine taking 12 units," Martinez said. "A lot of these students are first-generation students, mostly single parents and working families who are trying to pursue a higher education."
Ramos, who is taking 14 credit hours and doesn't work, says his parents are feeling the pinch.
"They're really pressuring me to finish quickly, because things are skyrocketing," he said.
"If I didn't get a fee waiver, I wouldn't be able to go here," said Jill Dyer, 27, of North Hollywood.
Dyer is taking classes at LAVC with the goal of transferring to CSUN and getting a bachelor's degree in psychology. For several years, she had been able to get good-paying jobs as an executive assistant without a college degree, but then the economy soured. She's been out of work since January.
"They want a bachelor's degree to do customer-service jobs," Dyer said. "There was a salon in Beverly Hills with a receptionist's position and they wanted a four-year degree."
"Students at community colleges aren't trust-fund babies and want to get an education," Dyer said. "This is supposed to be where your future starts. If you don't have an education, you don't have anything."