POMONA - Ajarrah Owens, who shares a Chino apartment with another college student, lives mostly off financial aid.

The Cal Poly sophomore works eight to 12 hours a week as a tutor because school is her real full-time job.

Another rise in tuition at the request of the governor is something she could afford only by accruing more debt.

"It's a problem because I think they started a trend. Last year it was 30 percent. This year it will be 10 percent," Owens, 19, said. "What's it going to be next year?"

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's first budget proposal seeks across-the-board fee and tuition increases for community colleges and universities and calls for a policy to control how much and how often colleges can raise fees.

Though Owens looks forward to some predictability in her fees, she is concerned about the growing cost of her education.

Undergraduates in the California State University and University of California systems would see their tuition jump 10 percent if the Legislature approves the governor's proposal.

Graduate students would bear a 40-percent increase at both systems, and out-of-state tuition would jump 20 percent.

Fee increases must be approved by the three respective college systems. The money accrued from fees is placed in the state's general fund and then redistributed back to the education community.

For a CSU student, next year's fees would cost $2,251, up from $2,046. A UC student would pay $5,482, up from $4,984.

The cost per unit for community college students would jump from $18 to $24. In September, the fee was increased from $11 per unit to $18.

"That would hurt a lot," said Chaffey College student Jonathan Elder, 20, of Alta Loma. "I was only able to take two classes this semester because it's so expensive."

Elder does not think the state deficit should be balanced by raising the cost of education.

"The last ($7 increase) should be enough for our share," he said.

Some community college students could qualify for federal student aid if the cost per unit goes up, something the Schwarzenegger administration is banking on to help students pay for the increase.

"Virtually every aspect of the state government is going to be asked to sacrifice," said H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the state Department of Finance.

Schwarzenegger's budget also seeks to limit new freshman enrollment to the UCs and and CSUs by 10 percent. In theory, the students would be redirected to community colleges and then transfer into the university systems after completing general education requirements.

This amounts to 3,200 UC-bound students and a savings of $24.8 million. Cal State schools would need to redirect 4,200 of their would-be first-time freshman.

As a result of the extra pressure on community colleges, the governor's budget proposes $125 million for enrollment growth and $80 million in funds to under-served colleges.

Mt. San Antonio College President Christopher O'Hearn appreciates the governor's willingness to fund community colleges.

"I don't see anything particularly negative (in the budget)," he said. "But I see a a few things I have a lot of questions on."

O'Hearn is particularly concerned with the proposal to raise the cost of a community college unit to $50 for students who have already earned a bachelor's degree.

"The truth is an enormous number of our students already have degrees," he said.

The proposed changes require the Legislature's approval, and the budget is expected to change many times over the course of five months of negotiations between the Legislature and the governor's office.

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Tuition increases


UNDERGRADUATES

University of California: $5,482, up from $4,984, a 10-percent increase

Cal State: $2,251, up from $2,046, a 10-percent increase

Community college: $24 per unit, up from $18, a 33-percent increase

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GRADUATE STUDENTS

University of California: $7,307, up from $5,219, a 40-percent increase

Cal State: $3,158, up from $2,256, a 40-percent increase

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Out-of-state surcharge

CSU: $8,460 to $10,152

UC: $13,730 to $16,474

Sources: Governor's Budget Summary 2004-05