Source: http://stocklogos.com/sites/default/files/uni_of_california_seal_detail.jpg
As if paying for college wasn’t difficult enough for UCLA attendees, the financial burden may become even heavier for UC students. The University of California is proposing a plan that would raise student fees up to 5% per year for the next 5 years. With this model, tuition would jump $612 dollars in the first year alone, raising tuition to $12,804 a year. By the end of the 5 years, tuition costs would reach a staggering $15,564 a year. While these costs would still be comparatively low compared to many private schools, it is very unfortunate that California students looking for an affordable, quality education could potentially be faced with even more fees to pay.
These proposed fee hikes are partly due to lower than expected aid from the state. California schools were counting on more revenue to come their way from the higher tax rates imposed through Proposition 30; however, this has not been the case. Should the state allot more resources to education, then the fee increase could be nonexistent or as little as 1%, but that seems highly unlikely at this point in time. With the state not providing more money for education, some argue that fee hikes are the only way to go in order to ensure a quality education for UC students.
As can be expected, many students and parents are incredibly unhappy with the proposed fee increases. Especially in places like Los Angeles and Berkeley, the price of living is already pretty high, and adding higher tuition into the mix could saddle students and their families with even more debt and financial hardship. There have been regents who have spoken out for and against this proposed fee increase, so students will have to wait and see what the UC Board of Regents decides to do. The UC Board of Regents will be voting on this matter during their meeting on November 19th and November 20th, and we can only hope their decision will be beneficial to the students of California.
Source: http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-uc-tuition-20141107-story.html