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Palomar College, San Marcos, Calif. Monday auG. 23, 2010 Vol. 64, No. 1
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Time to Transfer sara burbidge the telescope
Despite budget difficulties, most California State Universities have opened up admissions for Spring 2011 applicants for a short period of time. For some this might mean no more waiting around until Fall 2011 to begin a new school year. Qualified students who wish to apply to the CSU Spring 2011 term may fill out an online application between Aug. 1 and midnight of Aug. 31. However, whether students get approved to enroll is contingent upon the passing of a funding proposal by the California State Legislature. “That is setting them up for failure if the money won’t be there, but on the other hand it is fair to at least let them apply,” said Anthony Gonzales, who hopes to transfer to Cal State Long Beach in Fall 2011. As a business major, Gonzales added that California’s immediate problem was to find money for funding education and that as many people as possible should be in school. In 2009, the California budget was cut by over $584 million and spring applications were not accepted at CSU campuses. Upwards of 35,000 students were unable to enroll, according to an article published last July on the California State University website. The news came as a shock
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photos by melina fickas, photo illustration by deb hellman | the telescope
melissa caston the telescope
For the first time in Palomar history, students now have the option to rent textbooks at half the cost of buying them, according to school officials. The rental program is run by Illinois based Follett Higher Education Group (FHEG), which manages the Palomar bookstore. The program started July 19 and will continue throughout the 2010-2011 school year. Rent-A-Text was launched in 2009 and has since saved students throughout the country up to $2 million in book costs, according to FHEG Director of Operations, Brian Rehme. Students can save up to 50 percent on new and used text books, in all study areas. Students have the same freedom renting as they do buying a new book. “The program allows highlighting all within the normal wear and tear associated with coursework,” Rehme said. Students rent textbooks by signing a contact and using a credit card as collateral. Students must be at
to students already facing rising costs of tuition, teacher furloughs, impacted majors and higher GPA qualifications. Palomar Transfer Center Assistant Dagmar Royer said this seems to be a budget-by-budget decision, and she doesn’t recall many CSU schools putting a freeze on enrollment prior to the current situation. A statewide freeze is unusual, she said. Acceptable application requirements differ from school to school and are very specific. For example, according to the San Diego State University website, the university will only accept upper-division transfer applications from students coming from local community colleges for the Spring 2011 semester. Schools will be looking for students who have not only completed the “Golden 4” general education requirements in oral communications, written communication,critical thinking and math/quantitative reasoning with “C” or higher but students must also maintain a certain GPA and complete additional courses required for any major that is impacted. According to Royer, student merit and completion of courses alone does not qualify a student. Now many state universities serve qualified students who are in their service area before admitting students outside of their service area. North County students
least 18 years old. Rented texts are to be returned to the bookstores at the end of the semester. If books are not returned, students are charged a 7 percent re-shelving fee plus 75 percent of the actual cost. “Not all books are offered to be rented because some are older, and new editions are more likely to get put on the list,” San Marcos bookstore textbook assistant, Leon Springer said. He added that Follett will continue to add books throughout the semester. “I tried to rent two books and both were not available; so I ended up buying one new turn to books page
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kathy hagedorn | mc t campus
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‘10 days to pay’ pays off debts melina fickas the telescope
Palomar is $1.5 million in debt because of students who have never paid for their classes, according to President Robert Deegan, which is why the new “10 Days to Pay” rule has been implemented this semester. Starting this semester, Palomar students must pay for their classes in full within 10 days of registering or they will be dropped from the class. The new rule was proposed last spring because it was recommended by an auditor. Seven percent of students who attend classes do not pay for their classes in full before the end of the semester, according to Deegan. “We are trying to reduce the money owed,” Deegan said. “We are carrying debt that’s not being paid.” Students have mixed reactions to the new rule. Of 10 students Robert Deegan interviewed earlier Palomar President this month, many had not heard of the new rule, including student Ian Scott who will be attending Palomar for the first time this fall. “That sounds harsh. Especially to new students who don’t really know what’s going on,” Scott said. Eddie Tubbs, Career Center Coordinator, countered that students need Ian Scott to be accountable Student and to help Palomar keep running on a daily basis. “If I had an apartment and I didn’t pay my rent or utilities, I would be kicked out,” Tubbs said. “It’s the same with students and their classes.” Students having to pay in full will lessen the amount of students who sign up for classes but never attend, according to Deegan. Many students have already seen the benefits of this for the fall semester. “I actually like it because the past year getting classes is really hard. The rest of us have to crash because of the people holding onto classes they don’t Ally D’Orazio need,” student Ally D’Orazio said. Student While this can be a good point toward the new rule, students who procrastinated getting their financial aid are hindered by the rule. Student Raquel Sanchez said because she forgot to enroll in financial aid turn to ten days page
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