NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Mark Landig looked like a shoo-in for a state school. The 17-year-old expects to graduate from Clark Magnet High School in the top 5% of his class and wants to be a doctor.

But admissions officials at the four University of California schools he applied to told him to try community college first because none of the universities has room for new students.

Glendale Community College student Jesse Melgares, 19, is ready to transfer to a state university to study political science. Someday, he wants to run for a seat in the state Assembly. But there's no room for him at UC San Diego unless state lawmakers somehow avert making deep cuts in funding for California's colleges.

Assemblyman Dario Frommer (D-Glendale) brought officials from the UC, Cal State University and California Community College systems together Tuesday at Glendale Community College to discuss the proposed cuts.

"The promise was simple," Frommer said of the state's educational master plan, which was established in 1960. "If you make the grade, we will make a spot for you. This morning, it appears as though the promise is about to be broken."

A surprise $1.32-billion windfall from a bill Frommer co-authored with state Sen. Gilbert Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) is a possible solution to the budget crisis California universities face. The bill targeted tax abusers and gave them an April 15 deadline to pay delinquent taxes without penalty.

"I think the governor ought to take a little bit of that money and give it to the schools," Frommer said. "We could use some of that money to defer some of the fees you'll see at community colleges."

UC and Cal State schools sent 11,400 letters to highly qualified students this spring, notifying them they would be accepted as juniors after they spent two years at a community college. Other students, like Melgares, are waiting to hear from their school of choice after completing two years at a community college.

Schwarzenegger, though, offered a plan Tuesday to ensure more money for UC and Cal State to begin next year and continue on through 2010-11, in exchange for accepting his proposed cuts and fee increases for the 2004-05 fiscal year.

Under the plan, outreach and academic preparation programs will remain intact, fee increases for graduate students announced in January will be cut in half and college enrollment increases will resume after the next fiscal year. The governor also promised not to let college fees increase more than 10% through the next three years, after this fiscal year.

The plan will be included in the governor's revised budget, which will be released this week.

Melgares is waiting to hear from UC Santa Barbara and UCLA, even though his heart had been set on going to UC San Diego.

"I will probably go to Santa Barbara, but San Diego is in the top 10% of schools in my major," he said. "Even if I do get in, I will have to wait until June. By then, it will be too late to get housing and financial aid."