The UC Regents, governing body of the University of California schools, approved an equivalent 32% increase in student fees on Thursday despite days of tense campus protests not only at UCLA, but also in other UC campuses statewide.
With the increase, the cost of an undergraduate education at California’s flagship public schools will exceed $10,000 annually by next fall. This represents triple what it cost students and families about a decade ago. The $10,000 figure are fees (aka tuition) and do not include books or housing.
It should be noted that despite the $10,000 price tag, the cost to attend a UC school is still light years cheaper than the cost to attend a private school in Los Angeles, like USC or LMU for instance. Some kids attending those private school say they can understand the concerns, but quickly offered that $10,000 is a must-do investment in themselves. Besides, they remarked, “at least they’re not paying north of $50,000,” which is what most private school students at USC or LMU are having to pay year in and year out.
The ugly part of this whole scenario is that students have taken to action, and have blocked some UC regents who approved the student fee increase inside Covel Commons, where the voting took place, from leaving. Some of the UC regents are effectively trapped in there. The demonstrators are being confronted by baton-wielding campus police as I write this. California Highway Patrol officers are also in the mix.
This is yet another unfortunate situation born from the financial crisis that has befallen the nation, particularly California, where the battle to plug the budget deficit seems to be an ongoing struggle without an end in sight.