RESPONSES TO COMMUNITY QUESTIONS

What course categories are supported by the state?
As the noncredit, Continuing Education Division of the College, we are subject to the regulations and guidelines set down by the California Education Code. The ten categories of noncredit instruction that are supported by state funding are:

Parenting Education
Basic Skills
English as a Second Language
Immigrant Education
Education Programs for Persons with Substantial Disabilities
Short Term Vocational Programs with High Employment Potential
Education Programs for Older Adults
Family & Consumer Sciences
Health & Safety
Workforce Preparation

Of the classes we offer each term, the majority depend on state funding. The largest percentage of those fall within the Education Programs for Older Adults category.

For practical, working definitions of each of the noncredit instructional areas that is supported by state funding you can view and/or download a 40-page document published by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office “Noncredit at a Glance” available online at: http://www.cccco.edu/Portals/4/AA/Noncredit/n_guide_5e.pdf

Are Tuition-Fee Classes Something New?
SBCC’s Continuing Education Division has always offered tuition-fee classes that were considered to be enrichment or recreational in nature and not eligible for state funding. Short courses lasting only a few sessions were also ineligible for state funding and have been included in the tuition-fee programs.

Examples of courses that have historically required tuition fees include: foreign languages, physical education, science & nature, and recreation.

Why don’t you charge everyone a little bit for classes to augment State funding?
Under existing state law, SBCC cannot charge tuition for classes for which the state provides funding and for which the college seeks reimbursement. SBCC may, however, charge a material fee to cover the direct cost of materials, such as art supplies, etc. (For more information, see the Student Fee Handbook from the State Chancellor’s Office.)

Courses for which the state does not provide funding must be self-supporting through fees or community-based sponsorships (fundraising).

How is it decided to charge a fee, and how is the amount of the fee determined?
The State Education Code requires that Community Service (Community Education classes) be self supporting. At the June 23, 2011 Board of Trustees Study Session, by consensus, Trustees agreed to establish a new fee structure. A fee is now calculated by including direct costs (such as instructor compensation and benefits, instructional coordinators, facility rentals, consults, art models and other shared costs), and indirect costs (operational costs) at 14%.

Continuing Education began implementing the new fee structure for all tuition (fee-based) courses in the Winter 2012 term.

Who makes the final decisions regarding the tuition based status of a course and level of tuition charged?
The elected Board of Trustees, in consultation with the administration, makes the final decision at a noticed public meeting. The Administration consults with affected constituencies in Continuing Education through the Continuing Education Consultation Council.

Are there scholarships available for people who cannot afford the fee?
Yes. The SBCC Continuing Education (CE) Scholarship Fund awards tuition-assistance scholarships to financially needy students each term. Students who apply for tuition assistance must have an expressed financial need, and priority is given to applicants wishing to register for classes that are:

Health related
Life/Social Enrichment
Needed due to special circumstances

Check this website regularly for updates regarding tuition-assistance application deadlines.

Does Continuing Education have a fundraising component? Is there an endowment?
Donors who wish to support the Continuing Education programs may make “restricted” gifts to the Foundation for Santa Barbara City College. These gifts can only be used in the program designated by the donor. To make a restricted gift, please go to The Foundation for SBCC secure donation page: https://www.sbccfoundation.org/support.asp

Is there a long-term plan to eliminate the “non-enhanced” classes so that SBCC can earn more money?
ABSOLUTELY NOT. Both enhanced and non-enhanced classes are vital to meeting the needs of our community. Actually, around 60% of our current class offerings are non-enhanced. (For more information about what “enhanced” and “non-enhanced” means in terms of state funding, see “What Does FTES Mean?” below)

What does "FTES" Mean?
FTES stands for "Full Time Equivalent Student," an accounting method the State uses to determine the amount of funding it allocates to community colleges. Each FTES is the equivalent of 525 contact hours.

Every year, the state establishes the level of enrollments (FTES) that translates into funding for the College. The state does not fund enrollments above the established level of funding. Now the College is required to cut its FTES by a number equivalent to the $2.6 million reduction in its base apportionment funding. This translates into 300 FTES for the SBCC CE Division. Funding for CE is based on noncredit FTES.

Noncredit FTES – Enhanced Funded:
A course involving career development or college preparation is eligible for enhanced funding if it satisfies the requirements of Education Code sections 84750.5 and 84760.5 and Title 5, Section 55151 or 55152 of the regulations. The noncredit enhanced-funded FTES rate in 2011-2012 is $3,232.07 Noncredit categories that are eligible for enhanced funding are as follows:*

Short-term vocational with high employment potential (Career-Technical Education)
Elementary and secondary basic skills
English as a Second Language or Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL)
Workforce preparation courses in the basic skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing, mathematics, decision-making and problem solving skills that are necessary to participate in job-specific technical training

Noncredit FTES – Non-Enhanced:
Courses that qualify for funding under categories other than the four categories listed above, are funded at a regular, non-enhanced FTES rate. The (regular, non-enhanced) noncredit FTES rate for 2011-2012 is $2,744.96

Community Service Courses:
Classes that do not qualify for State funding must be self-supporting and therefore require tuition fees. Generally speaking, classes that fall into this category are those that are considered to be "avocational," "enrichment," and "recreational."

* Source: Chancellor's Office Addendum to Title 5 Guidelines, Part I, June 25, 2008

Has "Mind/Supermind" been cancelled?
No, the popular Mind/Supermind program is not being cancelled. However, under the revised state guidelines, community lecture programs like Mind/Supermind are considered Community Service classes (Community Education) and are not eligible for state reimbursement. Thanks to generous donations from supporters of SBCC Continuing Education, this vibrant series will continue to be offered to the public free of charge.

What is the best way to get the most up to date information about classes being offered in the SBCC Continuing Education Division?
The best way to get accurate information about current course offerings is on our online registration site. Before the registration period begins, we encourage to you to keep up to date on general information and news and events by checking this website (our main screen or "News & Events").