But despite her efforts to complete the coursework in the ensuing four years, Nelson is still not a nurse. California’s budget cuts have forced the state’s community college system to scale back the availability of crucial science classes. Nelson found herself repeatedly turned away from the oversubscribed courses required for her degree.
Frustrated and seeking an alternative, she took out more than $50,000 in student loans to enroll last winter in a nursing program at Everest College, one of many for-profit institutions that have sprung up in the area amid massive cutbacks in public funding for higher education.
Community College Budget Cuts Drive Students To For-Profit Schools.