With another meeting of the UC Board of Regents scheduled to take place May 5 to 7, President Mark G. Yudof held a press conference Wednesday to preview what will be discussed.
One of the main issues that will be covered regarding the budget is an approximate 10 percent fee increase next year, though Yudof said the decision to raise fees was not made by the UC Board of Regents.
The budget is one of the largest concerns facing the board as well as students and their families.
“We sent the budget to the California state legislation with no increase to student fees, and they sent it back with a 10 percent increase,” Yudof said.
If the budget continues to worsen before the start of the 2009-2010 academic year, Yudof said that he will not revisit student fees as a solution.
“Students need some stability. They need to be able to plan for next year,” Yudof said.
Yudof explained that the latest increase was deemed necessary in order to compensate for the $213 million in financial cuts the UC has received over the last two years. The budget cuts have snowballed into an even larger economic problem by forcing the reallocation of $400 million in order to pay for services such as medical coverage, grounds maintenance and residence halls.
Students will receive some additional help this year due to President Barack Obama’s stimulus package. Families paying college tuition previously received $1,800 in tax credits for two years and will now receive $2,500 in tax credits for four years, Yudof said.
With the recent financial cutbacks, the availability of academic courses may be a concern for some students hoping to graduate in four years. However, Yudof said cutting academic courses should not occur. Chancellors of every campus have been instructed to not make cuts from students services or academic programs in order to stay within their budget.
“If that’s happening, I want to know. Students should e-mail me, and I’ll do what I can” Yudof said.