Student Fees

Rallies, walkouts and teach-ins are scheduled today across the University of California system, with professors, students and staff expected to protest state cutbacks in higher education funding and UC's handling of the crisis. The extent of the protests was hard to predict; many faculty and students said they were reluctant to skip classes today, the first day of fall classes for the seven undergraduate UC campuses on the quarter calendar. But large turnouts were expected at lunchtime rallies at many of the system's 10 campuses, fueled by anger over pay cuts, rising student fees and reduced class offerings.

University of California officials Wednesday said they will proceed with plans to seek a 9.3% hike in undergraduate student fees for next school year and warned that faculty and staff layoffs might be needed if state financing measures fail in the May election and the budget deficit worsens. The increase, amounting to $662, would bring the average basic cost for an undergraduate UC education to $8,720 a year for California residents, not including room, board and books.

California State University trustees Wednesday approved a 10% increase in undergraduate and graduate student fees for the coming school year, with one board member saying it was the only way to absorb deep funding cuts without turning away thousands of students and eliminating teaching posts. "Until California changes its priorities . . . we only have bad choices," Board of Trustees Chairman Jeffrey Bleich said before the 17-2 vote.

The prospect of a sharp reduction in state revenues for higher education triggered protests from students and anxiety among faculty and administrators at Thursday's meeting of the UC Board of Regents. The 10-campus UC system, which enrolls about 220,000 students, could face hikes in student fees, limits on enrollment and a salary freeze under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to cope with the state's budget gap.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to slash higher education funding by about 10% would deny education to tens of thousands of qualified students and have a devastating long-term effect on the state's economy, university and college leaders said Wednesday.

California's two massive public university systems are preparing to raise student fees next week in response to anticipated cuts in state funding. The proposals call for basic undergraduate fees to rise by 10% at the 23-campus Cal State system and 7.4% at the 10-campus UC chain, officials said Thursday. The increases, scheduled to be voted on Wednesday by the two universities' governing boards, match fee recommendations made by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in January.

California's two public university systems are warning that student fees could increase about 10% next year, and maybe more, if the state's dire budget situation does not improve. The 10-campus University of California released a report Thursday that projects a 9.4% hike for most in-state student fees. That would mean $662 more for undergraduates who are California residents, bringing their average bill to $8,670.

Student leaders at California's two public university systems vowed Thursday to work toward rolling back Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget proposal to raise fees next year by about 7% at UC campuses and 10% at Cal States. Under the governor's plan, undergraduate UC student fees for state residents would rise about $495 to about $7,347 next year, including some individual campus costs but not including housing, books and other expenses.

The California Post-Secondary Education Commission on Thursday called for a five-year freeze on student fees at the state's public colleges and universities. "For far too long, increases in student fees have been the answer whenever the state finds itself in financial trouble," Howard Welinsky, chair of the commission, said in a statement. During the state's recent budget crisis, fees went up for four straight years in the California State University and University of California systems.

The 100 or so students gathered inside UCLA's Kerckhoff Hall one recent day clapped and cheered when state Treasurer Phil Angelides repeated his frequent campaign promise to cut student fees at California's public colleges and universities. "Go, Phil!" a young man shouted from the back, as others munched on free pizza provided by the Bruin Democrats, a student group.