UC regents approve fee hike amid loud student protests [Updated]

Amid loud student protests that roiled the UCLA campus, the UC Board of Regents this afternoon approved a 32% increase in student fees.

The fee hike of $2,500, or 32%, will come in two steps by next fall. That would bring the basic UC education fees to about $10,300, plus about another $1,000 for campus-based charges, for a total that would be about triple the UC cost a decade ago. Room, board and books can add another $16,000.

Only student regent Jesse Bernal voted against the undergraduate fees.

The noise of protesters came through the window as the regents voted. It was only lightly discussed, with UC President Mark G. Yudof urging that students explore all the financial-aid possibilities so they don’t get scared away or drop out.

Groups of UC students from several other campuses arrived in Westwood to join a demonstration against the fee hike, and a group of protesters was occupying a UCLA classroom building.

UCLA officials declared Campbell Hall, where the sit-in continued, closed for the day. Inside, about 40 to 50 students who had chained the doors shut shortly after midnight were issuing e-mail statements.

“We choose to fight back, to resist, where we find ourselves, the place where we live and work, our university,” their statement said. Campus police surrounded the classroom building, but no arrests were made.

Amid loud student protests that roiled the UCLA campus, the UC Board of Regents this afternoon approved a 32% increase in student fees.

The fee hike of $2,500, or 32%, will come in two steps by next fall. That would bring the basic UC education fees to about $10,300, plus about another $1,000 for campus-based charges, for a total that would be about triple the UC cost a decade ago. Room, board and books can add another $16,000.

Only student regent Jesse Bernal voted against the undergraduate fees.

The noise of protesters came through the window as the regents voted. It was only lightly discussed, with UC President Mark G. Yudof urging that students explore all the financial-aid possibilities so they don’t get scared away or drop out.

Groups of UC students from several other campuses arrived in Westwood to join a demonstration against the fee hike, and a group of protesters was occupying a UCLA classroom building.

UCLA officials declared Campbell Hall, where the sit-in continued, closed for the day. Inside, about 40 to 50 students who had chained the doors shut shortly after midnight were issuing e-mail statements.

“We choose to fight back, to resist, where we find ourselves, the place where we live and work, our university,” their statement said. Campus police surrounded the classroom building, but no arrests were made.

Meanwhile, across campus, a crowd of several hundred gathered outside Covel Commons, where the regents were meeting.  Students and UC employees chanted such slogans as “Whose university? Our university!”

Among them was Tommy Le, a fourth-year student at UC Santa Cruz, who left his campus at 3 a.m. today in a convoy of two buses headed south. Le, 21, an American studies major from El Monte, said he was worried about how he being able to afford the higher charges, starting with an additional $585 for the rest of the school year.

“It’s adding more stress and more burden,” said Le, who said he works two part-time jobs and sends money home to help his family. The fee increase, he said, would be “a lose-lose situation.”

[Updated at 1:33 p.m.: As news spread that the regents had approved the increase, hundreds of student protesters gathered in the courtyard outside the building and yelled, “Shame on you! Shame on you!”

After the vote, Jasmine Guerrero, a freshman at UC Santa Barbara, said she feared she would have to drop out of school.

“I can’t afford it,” said Guerrero, who wore a red bandanna across her face. “They (the regents) don’t care. They’re laughing at us.”

Gaby Arita, a senior at UCLA, said she recently lost a $4,000 grant to pay for her final quarter of school and is worried about finding the money to graduate. She said she is working two jobs to pay for her education.

“I’m on my own,” she said. “I can’t ask my family. In this economy, no one is stable.”

Mark Villela, a junior at UCLA, also said he would probably have to drop out of school and attend community college in his hometown of Palmdale.]

-- Larry Gordon and Amina Khan in Westwood

More photos > > >

Audio: Statement from demonstrators

Audio: Charles Alexande, UCLA Vice Provost for Student Diversity and Director of Academic Advancement Program

Photo: Elliot Goldstein, right, of Berkeley protests for the "future of education" as UC police officers watch the crowd during a regents meeting at UCLA.  Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[brixton77]

The reality is that UC university professors are over-paid. This idea that the UC system is going to lose its faculty is also an absolute joke. The reality is that most of the UC Faculty, including most of the good ones, are trapped by their own career decisions.

These faculty are sitting on LIFETIME job guarantees that other universities are simply not going to match, except in very rare cases. This is the reason why most university faculty retire in the same department in which they originally got tenure, even in good times.

[Helen Hill]

This is just horrendous. I have two children in the UC System, one in graduate school, and one an undergrad. The undergrad is transferring out as soon as possible. There is NO way that I can afford these fees. There is NO way my children can afford these fees.

The UC System is quickly becoming a private system for only those with tons of money. Financial aid = loads of debt and is a terrible burden for young people just starting out in life.

Sorry, but the promise of an education for all is no longer true. As a taxpayer I don't think I should be funding any private education systems, which now seems to fit for UC.

[Amsedel]

I am the oldest of 6 kids in my family. I've been born and raised in California, because of the tuition increase I will be the first and last person in my family to go to a UC.
I'm not the only one...

[Slowgo]

Hey CA, how's that liberal utopia working out for you?

[nicola]

watchdog, I attend a UC and believe me, we do spend time protesting war and government corruption. However, at this very moment, because it is RELEVANT and currently changing, we also need to protest the fee hikes. We cannot be expected to hold demonstrations against everything that afflicts our country and state all of the time. Be realistic and be supportive.

[Michael]

I'm currently a 3rd year UC student. I went to a jc for 2 years to save money and now I get to enjoy tuition increases. My parents income makes is just enough to where I don't qualify for any financial aid. And they are honest, hard working, and not scum that cheat the system. But they're scarping by to pay for the minimum on my loans to go here. I am staunchly opposed to financial aid, but this is more than just for those cry babies reap the benefits of CA's dimwitted and bleeding hearts. There is a serious number of us who fall in in the very low middle class brackets who are seriously affected by the tuition increases. Understand, my parents have worked hard, but we've never gotten a free ride. I have every right to be here @ UCD just like that poor kid and rich kid! And these increases jeopardize mine, and every other middle class student who's family has had to deal with parents losing their jobs in our economy or faced pay cuts.

And to the fool who said go to Cal State Bakersfield, I'm sorry I, plus every UC student in the system would rather go to a school where we are granted opportunities in fields other than "Criminal Justice" and "Business". Not to mention, academically we stand superior and need that intelligence to be tested and properly guided. CSUB couldn't possibly do that for us.

[Anonymous]

Wow. University fees going up. Credit card companies raising prices last minute before they become regulated in February.

Never mind the recession. Our economy is going to FAIL!

Yep. Our country is going down.

[Anonymous]

Wow. University fees going up. Credit card companies raising prices last minute before they become regulated in February.

Never mind the recession. Our economy is going to FAIL!

Yep. Our country is going down.

[Michael]

The UC Regents are liberals. This is what liberals do. Get use to it, or get them out.

[nodonkey]

All of our jobs have gone overseas so why not make it harder for us to take those slots in school when the U can make more money from those overseas. After all, they need to learn how to make a good quality product so they can dump it on us. Stop the export of jobs and import of students, buy USA made products.

[CW]

I graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2006 with a degree in political science and history of public policy. Fees went up nearly 80% during my time there, and and I graduated with over 20k in student loans (and I was a financial aid student.) That's not a lot compared to some of my peers, but as I start to apply to graduate school in public policy and social work this year, and prepare to take out more, I wonder how I'm gonna pay it all back through a career in public and social service.

Not everyone wants to be a scientist or a banker, and for some of the other comments to suggest you don't have value if you're not is disgusting. I'm a native Californian and my parents and grandparents paid taxes their whole lives to create a world class public university our state could be proud of, and now so do I. I would happily pay more if we could provide affordable education to these students and those who come after them. Education is one of the best investments we can make, and those who don't see that are the ignorant and uneducated ones, NOT these students.

The Regents and President Yudof should be ashamed of themselves. So should the legislature for seeing the UC as a cash cow.

[brianguy]

too bad, so sad.

[FTEE]

All you negroes and mexicans crying about the tuition hike have only yourselves to blame. California can no longer afford to subsidize the schools to the extent they have because all you dark people bleed the system dry through other means.

[brianguy]

"This is absurd, and if you opt for getting loans, then it only validates this mutation of public education. Loans=Conformity. "

1. conform dude 2. financial aid to low income students are being increased, these will be additional grant monies not just loans. graduate and professional students as well as high income and out of state students bear the brunt of the increases. 3. "another Ford corporation" - what does that even mean? I wonder what they are teaching at the UC these days, and what the standards are.

[Enzo]

Strange, I don't see the children from liberal politicians and liberal Hollywood celebs complaining about tuition costs.

Hey kids, how's that "change" working for you? Nice, eh? Don't worry, It'll get only worse.

[brianguy]

I think 'chicanolovenest' demonstrates exactly the bizarro mentality that these UNPAID UC Regents have to put up with.

further, here's a great article that explains everything.

[JakeF]

Buh buh buh I thought that "change" was coming to America...What happened?

Al Gore loves you, kids!

[brianguy]

"I am willing to pay HIGHER INCOME TAX to assure that the next generations will have as good an education as I did - after all, these are the people who I am counting on to pay my Social Security when I retire. If we don't provide them with the best education, who will take care of us when we retire?"

just donate on your own, guy. why a huge tax increase on the rest of us who never went to or ever had any desire to go to UC. there are JC's and private colleges out there that serve many other people's needs and we shouldn't punish them with higher taxes just to make people like you feel better. you went to 3 different UC, so be sure to send a donation for 3x the proper amount.

[JakeF]

I don't know why you kids and Californian bankrupt parents are so enraged. I thought that you were all about:

GIVE BACK THE WEALTH AND LOOK UP TO MAO TSE TUNG!

Accordingly, you're giving your wealth to illegals and limo commies. What's the big deal?

[Jake D.]

"Elian Gonzalez"

Elian? Is that you?

Anyway I am one of the other people completely offended by this fact, what it is, contributions to Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Why is it that no students in 2008 were protesting THIS, knowing that potential fee hikes were on the horizon?

University of California $1,591,395
Goldman Sachs $994,795
Harvard University $854,747
Microsoft Corp $833,617
Google Inc $803,436
Citigroup Inc $701,290
JPMorgan Chase & Co $695,132
Time Warner $590,084

Anybody besides me find anything wrong with this picture? Guess you get what you wish / pay for.

[Jake D.]

"Elian Gonzalez"

Elian? Is that you?

Anyway I am one of the other people completely offended by this fact, what it is, contributions to Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Why is it that no students in 2008 were protesting THIS, knowing that potential fee hikes were on the horizon?

University of California $1,591,395
Goldman Sachs $994,795
Harvard University $854,747
Microsoft Corp $833,617
Google Inc $803,436
Citigroup Inc $701,290
JPMorgan Chase & Co $695,132
Time Warner $590,084

Anybody besides me find anything wrong with this picture? Guess you get what you wish / pay for.

[Gordon Potik]

One word expresses my feelings ........... Booooooooo!!!

[The Next Step]

We need to continue fighting the underfunding of education in California. We cannot afford to give up after the fee increase; instead, we must continue our efforts to make affordable higher education a reality. Defeatist attitudes or projecting all of the blame on the Regents doesn't solve anything

Instead, we need to recognize that they are reacting to decades of decreased funding from the state legislature, who send the message that education is not a priority in this state.

What can we do? It is our responsibility to contact our elected representatives and demand that they support the UC/CSU systems. In addition, get informed about upcoming elections and the candidates who make education a priority. For example, in the upcoming Governor election, I recommend Tom Campbell, a talented economist with over 20 years of experience as a university professor and dean.

Keep it up UC, the fight's not over

[Chava]

How's "Hope and "Change" working out for you Obama voters?
Only the your hated capitalism can fix things now, whether you like it or not.

[Ming]

I am a UCLA student. Seeing the protest on campus is embarrassing to me. My peers are fighting for reasons I do not agree. This makes me eager to comment: College education is not a right, but a privileged. We all choose to be here due to what UC system has to offer. Think about the statement we wrote on the application why we would like to be part of UC.

College education is "free", in a sense that students invest so much into it, and it will ultimately pay back more than what we have put in. Hence in the long-run, the benefits offset the initial investment and pays itself. UC system offers students an education that is relatively less costly than others, and is NOT obligated to students who take "free" for granted.

Please stop accusing the system. We all benefit from it. According to my two years of experience at UCLA, I see that UC exerts great effort to accommodate students' life on campus and higher education learning. I want to express my thanks to UC. The Regency has done a marvelous work to operate one of the most prestigious and sizable university system in the world. Nonetheless, thanks to all the tax payers of California who have supported the public education system along the way.

The system runs in a complex manner beyond what students assumed to be right or wrong. Without getting tangled in that argument, I would like to turn the focus on ourselves as students: What may we do to overcome this hardship?

The Regency did their part, and please respect the made decision for long-term sustainability of our campus. Our part is to carry the decision and seek for other sources for paying our tuition. The fee increase will ultimately bring good to UC system if we stand together to work against the budget crisis. I encourage my peers to stand by our university with pride and loyalty, and support ourselves and the academia. It is up to us to find our own solutions that suit our needs, and these options are out there.