Californians worried about UC, Cal State tuition increases, survey shows

A strong majority of Californians are concerned about steep tuition hikes at the University of California and California State University, according to a report released late Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California.

In addition, more respondents favored increasing their own taxes than raising students fees.

The findings are part of a statewide public survey that also found broad support for increasing state funding of higher education, combined with concern that education costs are keeping many qualified students from attending college.

“The increasing support for higher education in the context of California’s poor economy is what surprises,” said Mark Baldassare, the institute’ s president and chief executive. “For the public, higher education still holds out that promise of a better future for themselves, their neighbors and the next generation of Californians.”

The survey was released as University of California regents met in San Francisco to consider an 8% increase in tuition for undergraduates, and the report followed a vote by Cal State trustees last week to raise tuition 15% by next fall.

The survey was funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Responses were based on a telephone survey of 2,500 residents between Oct. 19 and Nov. 2, 2010, before the latest actions by the university systems.

Fifty-seven percent of those surveyed favored spending more on higher education even at the expense of other state programs, and 62% expressed concern that the state budget crisis would result in additional cuts in education spending. Forty-nine percent of respondents said they would pay higher taxes to maintain current funding, while the same percentage said they would not be willing to do so.

But in the latest poll, more residents expressed a willingness to pay higher taxes to maintain education funding than did last year, when 41% did so. Only about 35% of residents favored raising student fees to maintain funding, and 62% were opposed. Even with all the issues facing the new governor in 2011, 76% of respondents said higher education should be a priority.

Strong majorities of Californians said they believe that UC, Cal State and community colleges are doing a good or excellent job, but equal majorities across political, regional and demographic groups also said they believe that student access is an issue.

“If the systems are going to be asking for fee increases, the public wants to be assured that the people who can’t afford it are going to be able to find their way into college classrooms,” Baldassare said.

ALSO:

Hollywood superhero street performers should not face arrest, judge rules

Ronni Chasen was shot before her car crashed in Beverly Hills

Dad arrested on suspicion of auto burglary while pushing son in stroller

-- Carla Rivera

 

Comments

[BLM]

Is there a question in the survey that asks whether the person being polled pays any taxes right now? Its very easy to say they will pay more when they don't pay any taxes in the first place.

[Gem]

Higher Education is a right that needs to be funded and supported. Quality education, affordability and accessibility are crucial to California's prosperity. STOP raising fees!

[Smith]

The sad thing it's the middle class folks that get hurt the most by all this. We are going back in time. Where only the rich and the poor will be able to go to colleges. The rich can afford it and the poor will get the financial funding needed.

That is a sad state of affairs since there are a large population in the middle class bracket.

[anon]

someone has to make up the difference for the illegal immigrants getting in-state tuition.

[concerned parent]

Fees are up. Applications are up. Acceptances are down. The effect beyond the monetary aspect, is the reality that our state university system is becoming more and more elitist. When UCLA proclaims itself as the most popular university in the nation with its 57,000+ applications for fall 2010 students, it should make everyone stop and ponder just exactly who are the ~13,000 students they admitted. With an average GPA (average) of 4.37 and an average SAT score of 2030 and ACT score of 29 you'd realize we are talking about the cream of the crop students (except some recruited athletes, perhaps). How does that compare to 20 or 30 years or so ago when all students who were in the 30% class ranking or above were guaranteed a spot at either a UC or CSU?
Thanks to the promise of higher education, begun under then Governor Earl Warren, our state (all taxpayers) afforded me the ability to obtain a BA degree and become a contributing member of society and able to pay back my extremely affordable education through taxes paid. I was also fortunate to able to work in an industry closely related to my degree, own a home and raise a family. My kid? Oh, he's out of state where the cost of his education is on par with private California schools because, despite being a great kid, he didn't elect to take an insane amount of AP/IB and Honors classes nor study and prep to the tune of thousands of dollars for the SAT/ACT tests. He was a regular student who found an acceptance letter at a great university out of state the best avenue for him. Fortunately for us, we're willing to go into debt (the american way, right?) to pay for his out of state higher education (we're feeling the middle squeeze). It was abundantly clear he wouldn't have had a shot at any UC (save Merced or Riverside, maybe, had they even been considerations on his part) and our local geographic area CSU (Fullerton, again not on his list) experienced its own cutbacks which trickled down to less acceptances, but for the lucky few, who may not even have been able to get a full load of freshman classes.
Four years at an out of state school with a four year graduate rate, expensive.
Versus six years, on average, for an in state education (if you're lucky enough to make the cut), Ridiculously expensive. 6 years of "fees"/ tuition, dorm/rental housing, books, lost time because classes are full....and now the UCs are contemplating another tuition increase and news that they are accepting more international and out of state students (um, they pay more) will only make it tougher for California students—legal or illegal—to get a "golden ticket" of admission to our UCs and some of our most impacted CSUs (CalPoly, SDSU, CSUF, Chico). Who would have thought our state schools are now so selective that even a state resident wouldn't be able to get in.

[evil eye]

higher education makes the world better place..