Undergraduate tuition at the University of California will rise 18.3 percent this fall, hitting $12,192 under a plan approved by university officials Thursday to help offset reduced state funding.
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“It’s a devastating decision for every student,” said Patrick Manh Le, 20, a UC Irvine senior and executive vice president of the university’s student government. “When you look at how our fees have increased exponentially, it’s just unacceptable for a public university. It’s becoming almost as expensive as a private university.”
UC tuition does not include about $1,000 in campus-based fees, or room and board.
Under the plan, the price tag to enroll at a UC school will be nearly double what it was just six years ago. Undergraduate tuition was $6,141 annually in 2005-06.
The UC tuition increase is made up of two components:
UC families already have been bracing for a planned 8 percent tuition hike that was approved last fall; this hike will raise tuition by $822 beginning this fall, to $11,124 annually.
On Thursday, the UC Board of Regents approved a 9.6 percent hike that will raise tuition by $1,068 more, to $12,192 total.
Last month, state funding for UC schools was slashed by $650 million.
UC officials said they would have been able to absorb a $500 million cut, as proposed by the governor earlier this year. But after $150 million was added to that amount in last month's state budget agreement, UC announced it would need the 9.6 percent hike to stay solvent.
An additional $100 million cut is possible by early next year if state revenues come in lower than projected, UC said….
