Dive Brief:

• A new law allows a handful of California community colleges to offer additional courses at higher prices during short summer and winter sessions.
• The move is intended to reduce bottlenecks for popular, in-demand classes.
• The bill requires the colleges that participate to use one-third of the money they collect on financial aid.

Dive Insight:

The law allows the new practice at only six schools. The increased fees are $200 per unit, compared to the state-subsidized $46 per unit. In signing the bill, California Gov. Jerry Brown said the small-scale program "seems like a reasonable experiment." An official for the community college system said that "creating a pay-to-play fee structure, where students who have greater wealth and means can get on a fast track, is patently unfair."