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Education

California Community College Enrollment Jumps 3%

The California Community College system released its statewide fall enrollment totals Thursday. Chancellor Jack Scott says there’s some good news and some bad news.

“The good news is that we’re at the highest level of enrollment we’ve ever had. We’re most popular. And the bad news is state is of course not funding us at a very good level," says Scott.

Enrollment’s up 3 percent, Scott says. That's 56,000 more students this fall than last, but it could have jumped much higher. The state’s 8 percent budget cut has forced campuses to eliminate classes and turn students away.

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Scott says colleges could have admitted at least another 100,000 more students if not for the budget cuts.

He says campuses need to prioritize their classes and eliminate the least relevant ones. He also wants the system to aggressively seek funding from sources other than state government.

San Diego community college enrollment did not rise as much as the state average.