Sociology professor Lorraine Cohen worries more and more students will get shut out of New York City’s LaGuardia Community College if the governor’s proposed budget cut of 10 percent goes through.

Even now the signs are not looking good. The LaGuardia professor’s office is next door to the chair of social sciences’ office. “I see students coming in to try to get courses that are not available to them so they have to delay their graduation or progress in getting a degree,” Cohen says.

Community colleges across the country are reporting surges in enrollment as many people head back to college to learn new skills that might give them a competitive edge in today’s tough job market. At the same time, these colleges are facing state budget cuts, so they are struggling to find ways to meet increased demand for classes.

In some cases, they aren’t meeting this need.

“Students are being shut out of classes. I do not know how the administration will implement such a large cut [if it passes],” says Cohen in a telephone interview. “Spring semester begins in March. I don’t know how they will deal with enrollment, turning away students or increasing class size.”

“We have 300 students on the waiting list to get into the nursing program. It keeps growing,” says Dr. Gail O. Mellow, president of LaGuardia. Student enrollment for the spring semester at the school has jumped 32 percent, according to Mellow.

“There’s been an incredible increase in demand in the numbers of students who want to become involved in education,” Mellow tells Diverse. “We’re dealing with it by squeezing students into every available class we can. We’re working with students to maximize their ability to take classes that are open now.”

California’s San Diego Community College District is another system in a tough spot. “Over 7,000 students have been turned away from classes they needed to meet their career and transfer goals,” according to Richard Dittbenner, director of public information and government relations for San Diego’s community college system.