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Most California community colleges began accepting students last week, and community college officials have indicated their concern over the particularly high number of students expected this year.

The increase in the number of community college students is partially attributed to University of California and California State University eligible students who were redirected to the community college system for next fall due to cuts in UC and CSU enrollment.

Some students that are UC-eligible will take part in the Guaranteed Transfer Option program, which guarantees a spot in a UC institution following the completion of 60 transferable units at a community college of their choice.

Students have until June 1 to indicate whether they would like to take part in the transfer option.

This plan would mean that, for the first time in its history, UC-eligible students would be unable to find a place in the UC system, and translates into 6.7 percent fewer freshmen admitted this year compared to last year.

Linda Michalowsky, spokeswoman for the community college system office, said that, as of last week, twice as many UC-bound students opted to forgo the transfer option than decided to take part in the program.

But the number of anticipated students in the transfer program is still expected to be high, and community college officials have indicated concern over the amount of free space available in the state’s community colleges.

The UC Office of the President, in conjunction with the Community College System Office, sent out notices alerting students of the limited space in the community college system, and indicated that students have to respond rapidly in order to be able to enroll in classes that can be taken for UC credit.

“Due to budget constraints, we have lost 175,000 students that were supposed to be enrolled this year but were not,” Michalowsky said.

“And even though the overall budget provides us with an additional 3 percent funding for growth, it will not cover all currently enrolled as well as the redirected students,” she added.

Since community colleges are open admission institutions, they have to accept all students willing to enroll. But space concerns will arise once it comes time to sign up for classes, especially for high-demand classes that can be taken for UC and CSU credits.

Joy McCaslin, vice president for student services at Pierce College, said the school will attempt to process all enrolled students but will not be adding any additional classes.

“We don’t have the funds for additional sections,” McCaslin said.

“The transfer option has been put into place, but the colleges haven’t been given additional funds to provide process for those students,” she added.

The governor has indicated that he would provide money for counseling aimed at the transfer option students, but Michalowsky said the money will not be going to the community colleges.

“He’s providing money to the UC and CSU, but the students will be with us, so we have concerns since we are already seriously underfunded in those areas,” Michalowsky said, referring to the counseling programs.

The governor has provided $1.6 million for UC counselors as part of the Guaranteed Transfer Option program.

Redirected students may also be limited in their course selection compared to students who already had a couple of weeks to sign up for high-demand classes.

“My feeling is that students who get redirected will be at a disadvantage for enrollment, since their timing is late,” Michalowsky said.

“But those are also the students who are generally better equipped to make their way through a highly compressed environment,” she added.

Students have to complete the transfer program in a maximum of four years in order to be guaranteed a place in a UC school.

The enrollment cuts are due to the state’s $14 billion budget crisis, which translated into a 14 percent increase in student fees and a 10 percent cut in enrollment this year.

“This has not been a terrific year for students at the UC – fee increases, cuts to outreach programs, worry about financial aid – and we know some students were disappointed,” said Hanan Eisenman, spokesman for the UC Office of the President.

He added that while the UC was unable to accept all eligible applicants, it tried to “create a seamless path to a UC college admission in the future.”