The Legislative Analyst's Office recommended last week that the University of California and California State University systems tighten their eligibility requirements in the light of lean state fiscal times.

The proposal is a good one, but it doesn't go far enough.

The state's master plan has as its goal the idea that every Californian should have the opportunity to have a college education.

That's admirable, but the reality is that many would-be students are not adequately prepared for four-year college, yet due to the subsidized nature of tuition decide to attend anyway.

"Not everyone, at least initially, should be going to a four-year institution," argues Lance Izumi, director of education for the Pacific Research Institute in Sacramento. Large percentages - 48 percent for English - of freshmen are taking at least a year of remedial education.

It has become the rule, not the exception, that students complete their degrees in five or six years rather than four years as they "catch up" and vie to get into ever-more-crowded classes.

"The K-12 system is not preparing the kids," Mr. Izumi added. So, the state has unprepared students entering four-year colleges and taking longer than ever to complete their degrees. This argues for tighter admissions standards, regardless of the state's financial situation, and a serious legislative look at K-12 education reforms that will ensure that a higher percentage of California students are ready for college.