California's college-age population is growing faster now than at any time since 1970. Our demographics are changing, with a growing Latino population and growing numbers of students who will be the first in their family to go to college. Students have to drive to multiple campuses to get courses they need, endure waiting lists for high-demand programs, and take courses they don't need because they can't get into courses they do need. These problems are felt in the CSU and UC, but most acutely in the state's community colleges. In 2003, 11,000 students who were eligible for admission to UC and CSU were initially redirected to community college. The CSU system reported a 10.8 percent increase of first-time freshman applications in fall 2005 compared to the previous fall; and the UC system said that the number of applicants for the fall of 2006 freshman class has increased 8.8 percent, compared to only 2.8 percent in 2005.

WHY THIS CAN'T WAIT

Experts on the future of California agree that the problem of college access demands immediate attention for three reasons:

• Growing Demand for Educated Workers
  Maintaining student access to higher education is essential to the economic prosperity of California in an era when more and more good jobs demand college-level preparation (either in terms of completing an associate's or bachelor's degree, or a vocational program in fields such as vocational nursing). Over the next two decades, according to a recent report by Dr. Robert Fountain at Sacramento State University, the growing demand for educated workers and the need to replace retiring Baby Boomers means that we need 3.2 million new college-educated workers – nurses, teachers engineers and others – to keep our competitive edge.
• Widening Divide between Rich and Poor
  The gap in the standard of living between the rich and poor (including the working poor) has grown wider in recent years. Limiting college access will make this problem even worse. In a time of growing economic disparity, completing a college education is an important road to an economically secure life. The gap between the lifetime earnings of an average high school graduate and an average college graduate now exceeds one million dollars. For more on this, download this 2002 study by the U.S. Census Bureau. 
• College as Academic Motivation for High School Motivation
  One key motivator for high school students is the knowledge that a solid academic record will prepare them for college opportunities that really exist. Efforts to achieve higher educational standards in public elementary and high schools will be seriously undercut if students know that taking the right courses and getting good grades will not be rewarded by the opportunity to go to college.