UC Tuition Talks Could Lead to Annual Increases

UCSB students joined a massive protest at UCLA five years ago when UC regents met there to discuss tuition hikes, which were approved.

Students may head to UC San Francisco Nov. 19 to oppose a similar move.

UC President Janet Napolitano unveiled a plan Thursday that would thaw the current tuition freeze.

Under her plan, tuition could go up as much as 5 percent a year for the next five years to cover rising retirement costs and to pay for the hiring of faculty that would allow enrollment to rise.

The price of in state tuition would go from $12,192 to $12,804 next fall and possibly as high as $15,564 by the fall 2019.

UCSB students said the increase would a be a burden, especially for students taking out loans.

The hike would not be needed if state funding is increased.

That’s why some members of the board of regents consider it a threat.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who site on the Board of Regents said, “I’m measurably disappointed and I feel like we’ve learned nothing from the economic crisis that allowed us to begin looking inward to look at reforms to negate stacking up more debt on the backs of students, particularly middle-class students who will bear the brunt of this increase.”

The Board will consider tuition hikes at its Nov. 19-20 meeting.