STATE FALLS IN COLLEGE STUDY NINTH-GRADERS 10 PERCENT LESS LIKELY TO GO ON.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

Although California has the most affordable colleges in the country, its ninth-graders are nearly 10 percent less likely to enroll after high school than they were a decade ago, a study released Wednesday says.

The study by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education and the Campaign for College Opportunity found that the chance of ninth-graders entering college nationwide declined by just 3 percent, even though the average cost of an education was higher.

The study gave California a B grade for affordability - better than any other state, but down from an A in 2002. The nation earned a collective F, down from a D two years earlier.

``College opportunity for California students is in crisis and getting worse,'' said Eliseo Medina, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union and a CCO board member.

Patrick Callan, president of the Public Policy Center and author of the report, said it's unclear why California experienced such a steep drop in college opportunity. But he criticized the state for inadequately preparing for the so-called Tidal Wave II, the demographic bulge caused by the children of the baby boom generation.

``There just hasn't been room for people. It isn't so much physical space as we haven't funded the faculty, the classrooms and the sections,'' he said.

The study, Measuring Up 2004, also cited small proportions of high school students enrolled in upper-level math - 33 percent - and science - 18 percent - making students less prepared for college.

All 50 states were graded on the affordability; preparation; participation/access; degree completion and the benefits each state gets from its colleges.

California scored Cs for preparation and completion and As for participation and benefit to the state.

``California has a middling performance. It still does reasonably well in a couple of areas,'' Callan said. ``But if you look underneath you see some things about the future of the state and the young people of the state that would give people some concern.''

Completion rates were low because students are working more hours to afford tuition, forcing them to attend school only part-time. Limited classes, blamed on steep budget cuts in recent years, have also complicated schedules causing students to drop out in frustration, professors noted in a conference call to discuss the study.

The study found only 59 percent of all first-time, full-time students get a bachelor's degree within six years and only 48 percent of all first-year community college students come back for a second year.

``California will continue to drop unless we make a significant investment in student financial aid, and find better ways of getting that money to students who need it the most,'' Callan said

Lisa M. Sodders, [phone]

lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com

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SOURCE: National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education and the Campaign for College Opportunity.

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