Students are aware of the increase in tuition and fees at Bakersfield College, but what they may not be aware of is the increase in fees for non-resident students.
Non-resident students are broken into two categories at BC, domestic non-resident students and international non-resident students. Domestic non-resident students are charged $201 per unit plus the $26 per unit fee as part of their non-resident tuition and fees. International non-resident students have had to pay $201 per unit, the $26 per unit fee plus a $33 per unit capital outlay fee. The capital outlay fee covers equipment and materials bought by the district in connection with the student’s education.
The district Board of Trustees however, has just approved a measure that will increase fees for domestic non-resident students, but drop them for international students.
The new structure will drop the $201 to $184 per unit, a decrease of $17. International students will still pay the $26 plus $33 per unit fees. The major change is that domestic non-resident students will now be charged the $33 per unit capital outlay fee in addition to the $26 per unit charge they already pay.
Joan Wegner, director of Financial Aid at BC, made it clear, however, that financial aid is still available for non-resident students to help offset the new fees.
“The only students who do not receive Title IV aid, are international students that are here in the U.S. attending school on student visas,” said Wegner. “All others receive both Pell Grant and student loan funding, even international students here on permanent visas.”
A BC student majoring in engineering, who wished to remain anonymous, voiced concern over the new fees.
“I’m an out-of-state student from Arizona and I’m not sure what to say to this new fee,” she said. “It seems strange to me that they would drop fees for international students, but raise them for people like me. It doesn’t make sense.”
Non-resident students won’t be required to pay the new fees until the 2010-2011 school year, but some students are already concerned they may not be able to pay because of current economic conditions.
“I already work two jobs, go to school and raise a daughter,” said one student. “How am I supposed to go from paying $210 per credit to essentially $243 per credit?”