Possible UC price hikes are cause for concern

Nishok ChettySports EditorUniversity of California (UC) officials told the media that if Governor Jerry Brown’s budget plan doesn’t pass, UC students could face a 32 percent increase in tuition. Yes, I had the same reaction: “Didn’t they just increase the price?”The possible price hike is disturbing to students, like myself, who deliberately chose a public education over a private one — a decision in which the lower cost of public universities is almost always a significant factor. But the proposed price hike will render a UC education significantly more expensive: it is estimated that the cost of attendance will increase $5,000 per year, meaning $20,000 over the four years  generally required to earn a bachelor’s degree.Budget cuts not only make it more difficult for California students to afford UCs, it makes it more difficult for them to be accepted. In recent years, UCs have begun to shift their admissions towards out-of-state applicants, who pay higher tuition, to make up for gaps in funding. In-state admissions now make up only 70 percent of UC admissions, compared to 88 percent last year.In addition to making the UCs increasingly inaccessible, the new proposal would introduce differentiated pricing, abolishing the equal tuition across all UCs.The cost of an education at UC’s Berkeley and Los Angeles campuses (known informally as Cal and UCLA, respectively) would be raised to more than the costs of other campuses, such as Santa Barbara and San Diego.Cal and UCLA are, admittedly, the most in-demand of the UC campuses — so, on the surface, it makes sense for those two universities to see the biggest price increase.The problem with this differentiated pricing comes back to the idea of students making an informed decision on May 1 (National commit day). A student, especially one considering multiple UC’s, should have all the facts in front of him/her before making a decision. The importance of financial matters is only magnified in these economic times.These increases blindsided many current and incoming UC students, myself among them.There is no way for students to plan for a 32 percent hike in tuition, and therefore there is no way we could have made an informed decision this year on May 1.While I understand that the state is in budget crisis, it is disheartening to see the state put education as such a low priority. California should be proud to boast such a robust public higher education instiutions, and our state legislature has the responsibility to defend the  quality and accessibility of those institutions. Governor Brown has proposed a budget which, though it may not solve all of California’s problems, will help alleviate some of the strain on our state universities. Brown has placed education where it belongs: at the top of the government’s priority list.Repeatedly, the state government has opted to take the easy way out. Too often,  in times of financial hardship, education has had to bear the brunt of budget cuts because there are no immediate repercussions of cutting education spending. But the state would do well to remember that, in cutting education, they are crippling the future.The final decision will be made on June 15. I can only hope it is the right one.