Shannon McMasters is running out of time.
A second-year UCLA law student, she has used up the last of her
student loans to pay her rent and bills until the end of the month.
Her only other sources of income come from a job she has at a
Brentwood hair salon and from her mother in Florida. McMasters said
as of mid-September, she had no idea how she would pay her expenses
in October.
“I’m in limbo. I don’t know what I’m
going to do,” she said.
The source of McMasters’ financial problems, she said, is
the fee increase imposed by the University of California Board of
Regents in mid-summer, fee increases affecting all UC undergraduate
and graduate students.
But, the sharp rise in fees for UC law students, which now total
an average of over $16,549 a year, have put tomorrow’s
lawyers and judges in a tight squeeze, forcing some to cut back on
conveniences, rack up credit card debt, or ““ in some cases
““ drop out of school.
McMasters, who completed her undergraduate degree at the
University of Florida, came to UCLA with the goal of becoming an
entertainment lawyer. Saddled with substantial out-of-state student
fees, she applied for and was granted a California residency,
hoping to take advantage of reduced in-state fees.
But when the regents voted in May to raise fees by 25 percent,
and again in July by another 5 percent, McMasters found her hopes
for a cheaper education rapidly dwindling.
After UC President Richard Atkinson approved another 5 percent
fee hike, law school students are paying more than they bargained
for when they enrolled.
The UC says it was forced to raise fees after the state
Legislature cut the university’s budget, slashing $410
million from base funding and giving no indication that the
situation would get better next year. The university says it had to
raise fees in order to protect programs such as libraries and
student services from deeper cuts.
However, this explanation is of small consolation to McMasters,
whose mother is in an income bracket so low that she can’t
qualify to co-sign for a loan.
Right now, McMasters is barely getting by. Between attending
classes she holds down a 20-hour-a-week job in Brentwood. With two
of her friends, she converted a two-bedroom apartment to
accommodate three people. She has a 10-year-old car that is paid
off but is usually in disrepair. She has very little disposable
income.
“My life is extremely budgeted compared to most of my
friends,” she said.
The financial plight of many UC law students has prompted some
to take action.
On Aug. 13, eight UC students filed a lawsuit against the
regents, alleging the regents broke a contract they made with the
students not to raise law school fees. Although the actual case
will not be heard until later in the year, the judge has thrown out
a preliminary injunction sought in the lawsuit which would have
delayed student payment of the fee increase.
The lawsuit was filed by Mo Kashmiri, a third-year student at
the UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law. A vocal opponent of fee
increases, Kashmiri was forced to drop out of school on Sept. 11
because he could no longer keep up with his payments.
Kashmiri said he plans on saving money and re-enrolling in law
school to finish his degree, but that his career plans will likely
have to change. Originally, he wanted to go into public advocacy
when he graduated, taking a low-paying job in the public sector.
Now, he says he’ll probably have to go into a private firm to
pay off the over $100,000 in debt he predicted he’s
accumulated.
Right now, he said he’s having a hard time making ends
meet. Though he has one job, his income is limited, and he’s
afraid he’s close to maxing out his credit cards.
“It’s scary not knowing how the money’s going
to come in once a month,” he said.
John Alden, a second-year law student at UCLA, joined
Kashmiri’s lawsuit against the regents hoping to represent
UCLA law students who were being hit hard by the increased
fees.
Alden said it was unfair of the regents to levy fees against
students, especially in the middle of the summer when students had
already signed up for classes and had to pay the increase
retroactively.
“It’s like you go buy a car, take it home, and drive
it around for a bit, then the (salesperson) calls you back and asks
for another $500,” he said.
Some students accuse the regents of irresponsible management,
saying the fee increase is not only forcing some to drop out but
also causing undergraduates who are considering a career in law to
either reconsider or give up altogether.
“(The regents) have eliminated access to public education
to solve a short-term budget problem, and that’s not an
acceptable trade-off,” Kashmiri said.
And the fee increase at the UC, a public institution, is
particularly irksome to students who often choose public schools
over private ones because of the lower cost.
“People go to this school, not only because of the great
education, but because of the incredible deal it is,” Alden
said.
“Or was,” he added as an afterthought.
After graduation, however, law students have usually fared well
financially. This past year, the average annual salary of UCLA law
school graduates was $108,748, and over 80 percent took jobs at
private firms.
For now, the problem seems to be just getting through, but
McMasters, for one, is not discouraged.
“I don’t know who I’m going to go to or what
I’m going to do, but I’ll figure it out,” she
said. “Somehow.”