Arguably the greatest public education system in the world, the University of California institution will not be as affordable and accessible as it once was.
Because the UC system is underfunded by the state of California, UC Regents have recently approved tuition hikes of up to 5 percent in the next five years unless Sacramento agrees to pay an extra $100 million every year.
In a report by the Sacramento Bee, in-state-students will have to pay an increased tuition of $15,563 by 2020 compared to the current tuition of $12,192.
“I think it’s important that the UCs stay affordable because that’s what it stands for as a public university system. There are very intelligent students out there who are qualified to attend the UCs, but this tuition hike could limit their opportunities. This decision will affect students all around us,” said sophomore Kirsten Clark.
UC students have responded with much protest and disapproval, supporting Jerry Brown for governor, who promised to increase state funding by 4 percent for two years if tuition does not rise.
“My brother is an undergraduate at UCLA, and he was there during one of the petitions. He said that there were barricades of students marching around campus chanting passionately against the tuition hike,” said sophomore Daniel Austin.
More than half of UC’s undergraduates pay no tuition at all.
According to LA Times, tuition today is eight times what it was 25 years ago.
The UCs used to offer tuition-free college education, giving California a skilled worker pool who in return, defrayed through consumer goods and tax payments.
From a report by KCRA News, the University of California has experienced massive state disinvestment in the course of the last few years, resulting in a total of nearly $1 billion slashed from its budget.
From a poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, as much as 77 percent of voters believed that student tuition should not replace government funds.
If a raise in student tuition is not the answer to insufficient funding, then where should the money come from to maintain current funding levels for the UCs?
One other way to solve this problem is by paying higher taxes, which will help flow in more money for public universities.
From a report by The Daily Californian, some UC students noted that the salaries for UC board officials are incredibly high, averaging at around $485,000 per year. Part of the tuition they pay that is meant to fulfill the salaries of the Regents could be used to fund the UC system instead.
Still, many people believe that the best way for the UCs to receive the investment it needs is for Sacramento to re-prioritize state spending.
According to the University of California, it has received $460 million less in state funding than it did in 2008, even though it enrolls more students than ever.
“There has been declining state support for the UCs, and there shouldn’t be, because higher education is the future. We are not only fighting for affordable education for ourselves, but for the people that come after us,” said Clark.
