Students planning on attending a University of California or California State University will likely pay significantly higher tuition costs over the next several years. Recent reports from the UC and CSU offices say that tuition for California public universities is expected to increase from eight to 16 percent annually over the next four years for in-state residents.
The state of California has made severe budget cuts to education during the recession. These cuts have left UCs and CSUs with $650 million less in funding than in 2010. Further cuts this winter are being considered. This has led to several student protests because it jeopardizes the future of their affordable education.
For students enrolling in college, this could mean major tuition hikes. According to the Los Angeles Times, the UCs report that by 2015 tuition will increase to approximately $20,000 per year compared to the current $12,000 (excluding room and board) and up to $6,000 per year at a CSU compared to $4,400 currently (excluding other campus fees).
Unfortunately, little of the news is concrete, and even UC/CSU students are unsure about the future tuition figures. Alice Liu, an Aragon alum and UCLA freshman says, “I haven’t really been told that much. I do know there have been some protests because as the UCs lose state funding, unfortunately tuition is getting a hike.”
Said Aragon scholarship adviser Rena Jan, “It’s hard on everyone, but will affect lower income students the most. Students will have to find more ways to [pay tuition fees].”
While tuition has increased over the past several years, it is beginning to have a larger effect on students and families due to the current recession. Many students depend on the UC and CSU systems to provide an education that will not leave them in as much debt as a private college or university. Parent Sarah Block says, “It is pricey for a lot of families who are middle wage earners to go look somewhere else. It may be putting more people in the [CSU] system, which is more affordable, which then pushes kids that were [CSU] eligible into the community college system.”
However, now that the cost of attending a UC is nearing that of a private college, some students are considering private colleges with smaller class sizes and a guaranteed four-year graduation time. Senior Adrianne Seiden says, “I am leaning toward a private school because I want to be a biology major and I worry that at a UC I will get no attention from professors or that it will be difficult to get classes and graduate on time.”
Block agrees, saying, “If all things were equal, I would [send my daughter to a private college] because I think that [UC tuition] is a bit high for what we end up getting. If the class sizes were smaller and they were guaranteeing that students were able to graduate [on time], then it is not as unreasonable.”
Some Aragon students believe that the tuition increases could possibly bring changes to the California public college systems. Senior Leo Trujillo says, “As long as it benefits me in the future, I would be okay paying more.”
Kelly Winterbottom, an Aragon parent whose daughter, Caity, is a sophomore at CSU Humboldt disagrees, saying, “I think that [tuition increases] are just to cover the budget cuts. They won’t make [CSUs] any better.”
The hike in tuition prices could lead more students towards a CSU or a community college. “Students who want to go to four year colleges will have more debt [than those who go to community college],” says Jan.
Debt is a concern for many students, including senior Ben Lewis. “[Tuition] definitely affects my plans. CSUs are getting really expensive, so I might go to community college to save money.”
Senior Gaby Franco agrees, saying, “Financial aid still leaves you in debt.”
Budget cuts will also affect the amount of scholarship money given by the UCs and CSUs. Jan says, “Hopefully more people will look into scholarships offered at Aragon. Many are offered in the arts departments. Now is a very good time [to apply for local scholarships].”
Jan recommends that students seeking financial aid look into the UC’s “Blue + Gold Opportunity Plan” and the CSU’s federal aid plans. The UC Blue + Gold Opportunity Plan applies to students whose families earn less than $80,000 per year, are residents of California, and meet the performance qualifications for financial aid. Students looking at CSUs can explore the federal aid grant system, which provides both need-based and achievement-based scholarships.
Tuition may continue to escalate, but students should remember that there are different options for everyone, whether it is the choice of school or a scholarship or loan plan.
