Class applications at California’s Community Colleges show a dramatic drop and college officials are blaming the Trump Administration’s crackdown on illegal immigrants. Officials say rising fears of deportations are a factor in the 27% drop, even though they promise to never disclose the status of applicants. Meanwhile, applications are actually up slightly in the last year for the Sierra College District, or from 9,360 to 9,403 for the spring semesters. There is no breakdown available for the Nevada County campus in Grass Valley. But Executive Dean Stephanie Ortiz says illegal immigration is not an issue for the district. She says no students are turned away…

click to listen to Stephanie Ortiz

Oritz says Sierra College has also implemented a new program to help high school graduates…

click to listen to Stephanie Ortiz

Ortiz says there are 1,652 students currently enrolled at the Nevada County campus, with only 28% full-time and 67% part-time. The Student Aid Commission says this is the first statewide decrease in applications since the California Dream Act was enacted in 2011. It extends financial aid for certain undocumented students.