Those would be some of the most expensive classes Gregorio has ever had to take if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't tweak his $5.1 billion budget proposal for the state's 108 community colleges.

Gregorio, 38, is among 13 of the 80 students enrolled in Chabot College's nursing program with advanced college degrees. Because of this, the mother of two would be among the hardest hit under the governor's plan for the community college system.

Schwarzenegger has proposed charging students with bachelor's degrees $50 per unit. By comparison, students without degrees would endure an $8 increase, from $18 to $26, under his plan. This comes just one year after the state raised community college fees from $11 to $18 per unit.

For Gregorio, Schwarzenegger's proposal to charge $50 per unit could push her dream of a nursing career beyond her financial reach.

"I have 10 more classes, so that's a lot of money," said Gregorio, who has a bachelor's degree in accounting. "When I finish this one, I have one more year to go. My husband (Ronel, a warehouse supervisor) is the only one working. If they do increase the fee, I'll probably have to take a loan somewhere that can help me out until I finish. But that is going to make it tough."

Community college officials have railed against the proposal, arguing that it's unfair and excessive. Critics also note that the state imposed a similar fee, called a deferential fee, in the early 1990s.

"It failed miserably. It just didn't work," said Jennifer Aries, spokeswoman for the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. "People complained, enrollment dropped, and the next year they (discontinued it). So this is nothing new."

Community colleges traditionally have served as a training ground for students who have advanced degrees but are seeking a career change. The proposal, community college officials contend, runs counter to that mission.

"We think that's not good policy," said Roy Stutzman, vice chancellor of business services for the college district. "The reason we think it's not good policy is it fails to recognize the traditional role of community colleges in training and retraining."

A good number of Chabot College students would be adversely affected by the proposed fee hike. According to the 2002 campus census, about 11 percent -- or 1,791 -- of the roughly 16,000 students enrolled in the Chabot-Las Positas district reported having advanced degrees.

Many of them, officials fear, would be forced to drop out as a result of the fee.

"I understand the governor wants to balance the budget, but I think it's really kind of sad that people who come to the community college system are now being asked to pay twice as much," said Nancy Cowan, director of the nursing program at Chabot College.

Cowan doesn't anticipate fewer students enrolling in the nursing program if the fee survives the budget debate. But she said it could have far-reaching implications for students in other programs.

"We have so many more students applying for the nursing program that we'd still have plenty to fill out classes," Cowan said. "But you can't say that about every student that comes to community colleges."

The proposal, however, would be moot if voters don't approve Propositions 57 and 58 on March 2, Stutzman said. Proposition 57 would provide the state with a $15 billion recovery bond, and Proposition 58 would require the governor and state Legislature to enact a balanced budget.

Stutzman said the budget proposed for the community college system is "predicated" upon voters' approving the two propositions.

"If that fails, then the budget proposal the governor has made for community colleges doesn't work," Stutzman said. "The governor's proposal assumes (the two propositions) will be in place."