UC Board of Regents Approves Steep Tuition Hike

The first hit, a 15 percent increase, could come as soon as winter term in January

By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk Staff Writer | Published on 11.19.2009

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Despite campus outcry, University of California students will see a 32 percent increase in tuition during the next year.

Facing a state funding gap of $1.2 billion next year, the UC Board of Regents on Thursday approved a fee increase, which will raise undergraduate and professional school graduate fees by $2,500 next year on all 10 of the system’s campuses.

Graduate academic student fees will increase 2.6 percent, or $111, according to UC.

The first hit, an increase of about 15 percent, or $585, may come as soon as the winter 2010 term, which begins in January for quarter-system schools such as UCSB.

In summer 2010, an additional 15 percent increase will be tacked on, raising the undergraduate fees to about $10,300 for in-state tuition during the 2010-11 school year.

The UC system expects the fee increase to generate $505 million, of which $175 million will go toward financial aid.

As the Board of Regents met on the UCLA campus this week, hundreds of people protested and several were arrested for unlawful assembly, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Many campuses, including UCSB, have held days of action and hosted the newly formed UC Commission on the Future. The commission is meant to visit each campus and carry out work groups to get input from the system’s stakeholders.

During its first visit, to UCSB, the meeting was overwhelmed by public comment. Students, faculty and staff expressed concern that the university system is moving toward a more private, less diverse model that concentrates on money, not students.

Some students said they felt like dollar signs instead of people, and their mounting debt brought their academic future into question.

Santa Barbara City Councilman Das Williams, a graduate from UC Berkeley and UCSB, released a statement Thursday calling the decision to increase fees “short-sighted” and “a disregard for the hardships this will create.”

“These fee increases will put the dream of a college education out of reach for thousands,” he said. “Our higher education system is California’s economic engine. To make an economic recovery and compete in the global economy, California is going to need more college graduates, not less.”

— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

 

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» 250K students-180K UC workers on 11.20.09 @ 07:27 AM

I find it amazing we have 250.000 UC students and 180.000 staff members. This is an example of how bad government runs itsself.
Not the sharpest tools running our state, or working for Calif, and they want to run health care-=RIGHT??

Government needs to cut 60.000 UC workers now—


» U.C pay is out of control on 11.20.09 @ 07:41 AM

How many of the U.C workers actually work?? not many??? This is a lazy union controled overpaid government network at their worst—working the students-parents and taxpayers..Lazy union government workers again—whats new??


» John Q on 11.20.09 @ 09:22 AM

I agree that the UC system seems bloated with union employees.
Couldn’t the Regents use the endowment money? With that said, I can’t get over all of the protesters. It shows a sickening example of self entitlement the youth of America has. What ever happened at working hard for a goal. You find a way to attend school. Stop depending on the government.


» death to the ignorant on 11.20.09 @ 10:20 AM

Only 1/3 of UC employees get paid by the State, geniuses.  The other 2/3 are paid by fee-for-service (medical centers, dorms, etc) or competitive grants from NIH, NSF, DOE, DARPA, etc.  In fact, most of UC would do just fine if the students packed up and left.

As for the students themselves, they pay back 2 to 3 times what the State puts into their UC educations.  That is because they earn more salary throughout their life due to the UC degree, and pay more State taxes.

So, geniuses, cutting UC is no bargain at all.  You only lose buy cutting UC.  As for the ignorant comments about bad government and unionized government workers, save those for the prison system, where costs truly have skyrocketed, and not one Nobel Prize has been wone.


» Long Time Resident on 11.20.09 @ 03:19 PM

The Regents action was cowardly (they sneaked out of their meeting under a massive,
Green Zone-like police escort, through a back door).

The Regents action was also disgraceful. It is a visible betrayal of the California Social Contract that dates back to the end of WW II:

That every Californian, regardless of geography, ethnicity, economic status, could
receive an affordable, high quality education for as far as talent, achievement, hard
work, and ambition could take them.

The stench of mis-management, special interests, greed, and political cowardice
define Sacramento.

The Regents meeting was no exception. Multi-millionaire cheapskate Governor S.
ordered Regents chair/multi-millionaire cheapskate Blum (Di-Fi’s husband) to cut
the throats of all the talented working class kids going to U.C.

Even though they all wept crocodile tears, the Regents did it without hesitating.

If this were Japan or Korea, all of UC President Yudoff’s senior VPs would have left
the meeting, gone out back, and committed sepuku, thus saving a few million in
salaries and perks from the Budget shortfall.

If this were Germany or France, President Yudoff would have coupled the Regents’
action with the announcement that he’s voluntarily going to a $1@year salary until
the University of California’s funding structure is stable, AND challenged all Regents
and members of the Legislature to do likewise.

But this is California, where the inept, fat-cat aristos do their evil behind closed
doors, then high-tail it away within a phalanx of armed para-military bodyguards.

Shame!


» Free education? on 11.20.09 @ 08:12 PM

UK up until the mid-80’s had free college/university for all.  In the mid-80’s they could no longer afford it so they changed to low interest loans for approx 3/4 on the cost or every student that wanted it. Families with income below around $60K would get a grant for the other 1/4 (not at pricey private school cost but for national school cost). 
There theory being college is a great investment as with a college education you will earn more. 
The UC fees would need to go from the current $9K to $15K to eliminate the need for state funding.  I think and increase to $15K is inevitable and still a great value compared to high priced private schools (Compare this to Westmont College at $32,150). 

I vote for raising the fees and give loans and small grants for low earning families.  It appears to be working well in the UK.


» Lazy U.C workers on 11.20.09 @ 09:04 PM

They are not the sharpest tools in the shed thats why they need to work for the government..these guys could not run a mini market..


» curious on 11.21.09 @ 12:32 PM

Why is it good policy to impose a fee increase on all students, and then use 1/3 of that to eliminate the increases, i.e. subsidize the fees, of the students’ families who report lower incomes?

This results in a direct transfer from the middle-class (and wealthier) families to the poor families, without affecting the rest of the taxpayers of California. 

It is not only the students who benefit from their UC educations, but the entire society, especially in California.

If some students will be subsidized, then the cost should be born by all the state, not just the narrow slice of families who happen to have kids in college during this latest recession.

The Regents, and the State Legislature, should rescind this part of their fee change, and reverse this bad policy.


» Death to the ignorant on 11.21.09 @ 08:05 PM

You must be part of the bloated problem—sad-

Cut sattf and wages in half—


» First taste of the coming socialism on 11.23.09 @ 12:42 PM

I’m glad the students are getting a feel for paying the way for “low income” students. It will soon be the way of the world. the harder you work the more money you will have to give away to those who just don’t want to work. It’s the ongoing war on the middle class.


» Why is there a war on the midle class? on 11.23.09 @ 12:48 PM

Because democrats stay in power by “reaching out” to the poor, and get elected by promising them free stuff from “the rich”. Eliminate the next step up (middle class) and there is assured eternal poverty and power for Democrats.


» Lazy Government union workers on 11.23.09 @ 03:49 PM

What new—go union go broke..


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