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UC Board of Regents Angers Students With Tuition Hikes

Posted by Robyn Gee/Chris McCoy on July 15, 2011

Creative Commons: ju_li_a

Students at University of California institutions will face steep tuition increases this fall. The UC Board of Regents just approved a 9.6 percent tuition increase on top of an existing 8 percent increase, bringing total costs up to $12,192 per year.

According to a UC Regents press release, these increases only make up for one quarter of the deficit that plagues the UC system, partially due to the $650 million cut from the state and other cost increases. The chancellors said the tuition increases were necessary in order to maintain the high quality of education at the UCs, four of which rank within the top ten best public universities in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Students aren’t thrilled by the cuts, especially since they coincided with pay raises for administrators. A release from the University of California Student Association said, “Students were very disappointed to see the UC Regents vote for a salary pay increase of $27,500 for Patrick Lenz, Vice President of Budget and Capital Resources on the same day that they approved such an extensive tuition increase which brings his salary up to $300,000. Students do not believe that such an increase is appropriate in light of the sacrifices being asked of students and their families.”

The Sacramento Bee reports that tuition has increased by 242 percent over the past ten years.

Students were successful in getting the Board of Regents to remove an additional 5.9 percent “trigger” increase in tuition — which would have gone into effect if Governor Jerry Brown decided to cut $100 million extra from the UC budget if tax revenues came up short, according to the UCLA Daily Bruin.

Since it is summer, many students aren’t around to protest the cuts on campus — which takes a little bit of the pressure off the Board of Regents.

Turnstyle has been following the data released about the amount of money it takes to get certain college majors versus that major’s median starting salary. Will these tuition increases impact the choices students make? Will more of them choose biomedical engineering over psychology?

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  4. AAPI Students Are Not As Awesome As You Think
  5. How to Make College Bound Students Financial Pros
  • Anonymous

    I love the University
    of California (UC) having been a student and lecturer. But today I am concerned
    that at times I do not recognize the UC I love. Like so many I am deeply
    disappointed by the pervasive failures of Regent Chairwoman Lansing, President
    Yudof and the ten campus Chancellors from holding the line on rising costs and
    tuition increases.

    Californians are
    reeling from19% unemployment (includes those forced to work part time, and
    those no longer searching), mortgage defaults, loss of unemployment benefits.
    And those who still have jobs are working longer for less. Faculty wages must reflect California’s ability to pay, not what others
    are paid.

    Pay increases for
    generously paid Faculty is arrogance.

    UC Berkeley (ranked #
    70 Forbes) tuition increases exceed the national average rate of increases. Chancellor
    Birgeneau has molded Cal.
    into the most expensive American public university.

    President Yudof and Chancellor
    Birgeneau have dismissed many much needed cost-cutting options. They did not
    consider freezing vacant faculty positions, increasing class size, requiring
    faculty to teach more classes, doubling the time between sabbaticals, cutting
    and freezing pay and benefits for all chancellors and reforming the pension
    system.

    They said such faculty
    reforms “would not be healthy for University
    of California”.

    We agree it is far
    from the ideal situation, but it is in the best interests of the university
    system and the state to hold the line on cost increases. UC cannot expect to do
    business as usual: raising tuition; granting pay raises and huge bonuses during
    a weak economy that has sapped state revenues and individual Californians’
    income.

    There is no
    question the necessary realignments with economic reality are painful. Regent Chairwoman Lansing can bridge the public trust
    gap with reassurances that salaries and costs reflect California’s economic reality. The sky above UC will not fall

     

    Opinions? Email the UC Board
    of Regents   marsha.kelman@ucop.edu

     

     

     

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