California Raises Tuition Fees By 32%, Students Occupy Buildings to Protest
Published November 20, 2009 @ 11:20AM PT
California has been forced to raise tuition fees by almost a third to close a widening budget gap. Facing a $1.2 billion deficit, higher fees are required to mitigate a loss of funding. Fees will gradually rise of the coming years, with students facing a heavier burden as they progress. The president of the University of California system explained to the WSJ that the drastic measure "is designed to provide access, maintain quality and stabilize the fiscal health of the university." He further believes low income students will be hardly effected by the changes.
Students aren't so convinced. And they aren't taking the risk of ever rising fees lying down. They have occupied university building to protest. That dozens of students were arrested indicates that this isn't a minor issue, but one that goes to the heart of further education in America: how much students should be expected to pay and when high-fees become too expensive and start becoming exclusionary. The New York Times proposes that students take a semester off in order to save money, saving their parents money, and allow themselves to gain to valuable experience of the working world. But once students do go back to college, if they think it's worth it, they'll feel the full force of the higher fees. A holiday won't solve this problem.
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Comments (4)
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Mike Smith is associate editor at Change.org. Email: mike@change.org
California historically has had low in-state tuition rates, but this level of increase will definitely exclude many students who can't afford the increase. Will student financial aid be ramped up proportionately? Doubtful. Will the university system continue to spend millions on football and other sports? Likely. There's something wrong with that scene.
Posted by Cynthia Rosso on 11/20/2009 @ 01:25PM PT
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I thought education was supposed to get easier to get. Isn't that one of the goals of the Obama administration? This is shameful!
Posted by Linda Truax on 11/20/2009 @ 04:04PM PT
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I am sure that low income students would not be affected. It is the middle class people who do not qualify for financial aid or cant afford tuition. This is why tuition should not be raised. This is shameful!
Posted by Veronica Trahan on 11/20/2009 @ 10:31PM PT
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THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM = TO THE DUMING DOWN OF AMERICANS.....SCHOOL = PROGRAMING THE MIND TO ONLY OBEY AND NO CRITCAL THINKING...THAT'S WHY THERE IS SO MUCH YOUTH VILONCE BESIDES THE BIG MISDIAGNOSISING OF OUR CHILDERN THROUGH PSYCHIATRY.....LOOK IT UP STUDENTS....AND STOP THE WORSHIP OF SCHOOL BOOKS AND USE YOUR SENCE'S ........SCHOOL ONLY GUARANTES THE GOVERMENT THAT YOU THE MASS WELL ME GOOD OBEYING SHEEP'S (NO QUESTIONS ASKED)
GOVERN YOUR SELF....WAKE UP HUMAN
Posted by Jennifer Belliard on 11/25/2009 @ 01:20PM PT
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