[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Valerie Novak
San Joaquin Delta College student

As a working, single mom, attending community college was my only affordable option for a higher education. I’m proud that I’m attending community college with my daughter, and thankful that we can afford it.

It hasn’t been easy though. A few years ago, fees jumped dramatically when my son, daughter, and I enrolled in our local community college. Paying the fees for three of us was a real struggle.

While I am in school, I work different jobs to make our goals in education possible, both as a trained private chef and a community instructor in food preparation. When I complete my studies at the community college level, I plan to transfer to a four-year institution to pursue my degrees in nutritional science. My goal is to achieve the degrees required for a professional dietetic career that will include teaching in the community college system.

I’m not alone in the struggle to pay for higher education. Ask any community college student trying to earn an income, and they will tell you how important low, stable fees are to them. Every dollar up or down in fees makes a huge difference.