After four years of anticipation and preparation, some hardworking high school seniors might be denied entrance into California public universities this fall.

Thousands of incoming freshmen who qualified to attend University of California and California State University schools will be diverted to community colleges for two years as part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's response to the state's budget turmoil.

Freshmen enrollment will be cut by 10 percent in both systems, a move that is expected to reduce state spending by $46 million. The cut would equal about 3,800 students and $21 million in state cuts in the CSU system alone, including around 75 full-time student positions at Cal State Bakersfield.

The plan would guarantee qualified students spots at either UC or CSU campuses after two years of studying at community colleges, where the state would waive fees.

The freshman enrollment cutback is one of a number of different ideas designed to reduce overall enrollment in both systems. The CSU system is aiming to reduce total student numbers in the fall by 5 percent statewide, or about 20,000 students, said Cal State Bakersfield spokesman Mike Stepanovich.

"In a time where we need a more educated workforce, we're basically having to turn people away," Stepanovich said.

And it's still unclear who will be the victims of that 10 percent cut in the freshman class.

CSUB admits more than twice as many students than actually end up attending, so arbitrarily choosing from those freshmen won't necessarily work, said Homer Montalvo, associate vice president for enrollment services.

Although the policy will affect only about 75 students at CSUB, it means losing more than a half-million dollars in state funds, as well as around $225,000 in student fees, Montalvo said.

Programs partially funded with those fees, such as advising and tutoring services, could be hurt, he said.

The plan could also have important social repercussions, crushing the hopes of students who have planned on going to a particular college since childhood and denying them certain freshman experiences like living in the dorms or joining fraternities, Montalvo said.

There's bound to be dashed expectations for some students, said Kimberly Prewett, head counselor at West High School.

For those who qualify for admission but still lack some basic requirements, going to a two-year school might be the best route, Prewett said.

But community colleges are already struggling with overcrowding and reduced budgets themselves, said Ken Meier, vice president of student learning at Bakersfield College.

"We're having trouble coping with the number of students we have now," Meier said.

While BC is teaching around 5 percent more students this spring than last, far fewer courses are being offered.

BC has undergone budget cuts totaling 16 percent in the past two years, forcing the school to cut courses and some part-time faculty and administrative positions, Meier said.

"Dumping more students onto us doesn't seem like much of a solution," said Steve Eso, a professor of psychology at BC.

Just because students are sent to community colleges doesn't mean they will get the courses they need, said Eso, who turns away at least 15 to 20 students in each of his classes.

BC officials are considering establishing a priority registration system, which would help students get through in two years, Meier said.

At the universities, officials are looking to limit the number of students being admitted at all levels, including international students, special admission students and transfers from two-year schools such as BC.

BC students who want to go to CSUB this fall but haven't finished the entire two-year course of study may want to enroll this spring or risk not getting in.

A new system-wide policy recently announced by the chancellor's office will prevent students with fewer than 56 semester units, or roughly two years of credit, from transferring to Cal State schools.

But students can be assured of qualifying as continuing students if they sign up for the spring quarter, which starts March 30, even if they take just one class, Stepanovich said.

Currently, lower division students -- those with fewer than 56 units -- are able to transfer as long as they were eligible straight out of high school.

By turning away qualified students, the CSU system is no longer meeting a longstanding commitment to serve those who graduate in the top one-third of their high school classes, said Terry Dunn, CSUB's director of institutional planning.

CSUB has seen a reduction in enrollment partly because of fee increases, Dunn said.

Students, already paying just over $200 more per quarter in fees than in January 2003, could be facing a 20 percent increase in the fall, said Montalvo.

Cal State Bakersfield has already lost a number of students to universities in states such as Nevada and Arizona, where there is easier access to courses, and fees are more stable, he said.

While the rule also applies to students looking to transfer in from other four-year schools, community college students will likely feel the greatest impact.

Of the 161 lower division students who transferred to Cal State last fall, 102 came from community colleges.

Jose Gonzalez, a BC student who hopes to transfer to Cal Poly-Pomona in the fall, said he's afraid the ruling will set some students back.

"The people at the bottom, which are the students, are the ones who are getting the short end of the stick," Gonzalez said.