Attorneys for eight students suing the University of California
Board of Regents will seek a preliminary injunction in court Aug.
13 which would prevent the university from implementing a 25
percent increase in professional school fees this fall.
The students, including UCLA law student John Alden, filed the
lawsuit July 24, alleging the university breached contracts made
with students when it raised professional school fees after
promising the fees would not be raised for the duration of a
student’s enrollment.
“The university made a promise … The students have
relied on that promise in planning their budgets. You
shouldn’t have to come up with as much as $2,000 apiece to
pay that increase,” said Attorney Andrew Freeman, who is
arguing on the students’ behalf.
The complaint filed in San Francisco Superior Court also cites
mid-year fee increases that occurred in spring and summer 2003 as a
“breach of contract.” However, students who paid the
mid-year increases would not be affected by the preliminary
injunction, which may be granted at the Aug. 13 hearing.
Professional school students who registered with the UC after
December 2002 would also be unaffected.
The case is being argued in San Francisco Superior court because
two plaintiffs ““ medical student Janet Lee and law student
Benson Cohen ““ live in the city, and Lee attends UC San
Francisco.
University spokesman Brad Hayward said the UC would net a loss
of $12 million if the court grants the plaintiffs injunctive
relief.
However, Freeman said if the preliminary injunction is granted
but the case is decided in favor of the UC, graduate students would
pay the remainder of their fees ““ the 25 percent increase
““ at a later date.
A court hearing to certify the suit as a class-action lawsuit
will occur Aug. 25. If the court grants the plaintiffs class
certification, the eight named plaintiffs would represent other UC
students who qualify as unnamed plaintiffs.
If successful, UC students would be refunded fees which they
allege were paid in violation of university-student contracts.