| By pdelatorre - Nov 14th, 2007 at 6:13 pm EST |
| Also listed in: Campus Progress Blog |
Tags: California, college affordability, education, election, student debt, tuition
California students today filed an unprecedented ballot initiative with the Attorney General that would freeze tuition increases at University of California and California State University schools for five years, and to tie tuition increases to the price of inflation after the freeze expires.
The initiative raises new funds to ensure the continued quality of undergraduate education at these schools by imposing a 1% tax on the wealthiest California residents, and creates a panel of students and parents that will review how this new revenue is spent.
According to a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, more than 80% of Californians that were polled are worried about the cost of higher education, but the campaign will still be fighting an uphill battle. While most ballot initiatives in California are bankrolled by large donors and rely on paid canvassers, this campaign is working with a smaller budget and organizing students and other volunteers to collect the signatures needed to put the measure on the ballot.
If you live in California, they could use your help!
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Schools make themselves more efficient by using financial aid, merit-based grants, scholarships, etc. to practice price differentiation -- you pay a differing amount based on how much you're worth to them and how much you have the ability to pay.
The services they offer are rising in quality - the reputation of a UC diploma is going up, and the facilities available while you're there are getting better and better as well.
The demand for their product is going up, too - there's a lot more competition than there used to be for UC spots.
The freeze makes no sense. A kid with few financial means but a 4.0 or above GPA and 1500+ on the standard SAT's isn't going to have any trouble going to a UC, because he'll get incredible financial aid.
And if the middle class don't think their student loans are worth it for the tuition they're paying? They're welcome to take their business elsewhere. The UCs are far from the only game in town.
"I don't like the trade-offs I face so I'm going to demand a law" is not a mature reaction to the incentives of the market.
do you even go to a uc school right now?
as a current ucb student
1) i see several student sit on the ground in my gws class on mon/wed. trust me, it's very difficult to learn theory when you're sitting on a hard floor, shuffling from side to side because your legs are going numb.
2) and there have been several instances when we don't have chalk avilable in my discussion sections. how ridiculous is that?
i don't know if we can provide a "mature reaction" when we're been deprived of fundamental resources. honestly, the only thing i see that is "rising in quality", for myself and other students, is tuition.
but, seriously, tuition relief now! is more imprortant and relevant than ever before!!
Speaking of sitting on the floor - You can get a cushion for 5-10 bucks. You can buy chalk pretty cheap, too. These are not game-ending issues. Get off your high horse.
I'm from Cali and I considered UCs, but decided they weren't the right choice for the academic program I had planned. I'm in DC right now, might be headed back to UCLA on fellowship next fall.
My school is world-class for what I study, but our endowment is tiny, our tuition is huge, and our undergrad infrastructure (the sort of minor complaints you're mouthing here) is crap. You know what? It's not a big deal. I'm getting my money's worth. If you don't think you're getting yours, you have tons of other options out there.