Students at the University of California are paying more for
their education than ever before, with fees increasing at record
rates over the past few years.
But California students are not alone, since the cost of higher
education has increased dramatically across the nation.
After a short period of decreasing fees in the late 1990s, the
cost of attending the UC has been growing steadily, said Ravi
Poorsina, a spokeswoman for the UC Office of the President.
“There’s really only one variable and that’s
state funding,” said Steve Olsen, the UCLA vice chancellor of
finance and budget, to explain the recent rise in UC fees.
“When the state has budget problems, as it has the last
three years, the university is compelled to increase fees,”
he added.
But while California students have been among the hardest hit by
rising university fees, students across the country are facing
sharp increases in the cost of education.
Tuition at public universities nationwide jumped by 10.5 percent
this year, which is the second largest increase in history, said
Timothy McDonough, director of public affairs for the American
Council on Education.
Only the 2003-2004 academic year saw a greater increase, with
tuition and fees rising by 14.1 percent, McDonough added.
Some universities charge tuition for a student’s
education. But others, like the UC schools, cover the cost of
tuition and instead only charge student fees for in-state students.
Nonresidents pay tuition.
“The last two or three years we’ve seen the highest
tuition that we’ve ever seen. Ever,” said Carl Krueger,
a policy analyst for the Education Commission of the States.
The amount students are paying varies between school systems,
but nearly every public university has experienced a cut in state
funding and a resultant fee hike.
“There’s been a budget crisis in almost every
state,” Krueger said. “Most states have been having
problems finding enough money to fund higher education.”
When states have an economic downturn, as has been the case in
recent years, universities face a cut in both public and private
funding.
States need to balance funding for K-12 education, social
services and the prison system. When the economy is suffering,
funding for universities is often cut back to provide funding for
these other programs, McDonough said.
During tough economic times, revenue that comes from alumni
support, donations and endowments tends to level off as well, he
added.
“With those revenue streams cutting back, the only place
to make up the difference is to increase tuition,” McDonough
said.
Regardless of its negative effects on students, many believe
that the increased fees are necessary.
In lieu of state support, fee hikes are required to maintain the
quality of education the UC is able to provide, Poorsina said.
“It helps us uphold our values and what the university is
known for, which is higher education. You don’t want to
compromise that,” she said. One vital element to consider is
a university’s ability to provide competitive salaries for
professors, which is important to the quality of the education.
“In order to provide for more competitive salaries, the
university needs more revenue,” he said. “Ultimately
there’s a relationship between the revenue of the university
and the quality of the education we’re able to
provide.”
But a quality education is not the only factor for states to
consider as universities provide important research and development
that is vital to a state’s economy.
California in particular, with few upper-tier private
universities, is particularly reliant on the public school system,
Olsen said.
“If California expects to have a dynamic, technologically
advanced economy based on the creation of new knowledge ““ it
needs the University of California,” he added.
Across the nation, universities are facing this same question of
how to provide quality education in light of decreased state
funding.
But quality has to be balanced with affordability and access,
particularly for low-income students.
“There’s an argument out there that the higher the
tuition gets, the more low-income students are shut out of the
system,” Krueger said.
Al Phillips, who is the associate vice president of the Council
for Opportunity in Education and works with many low-income
students across the country, said he has worked with many people
who are unable to attend a public university due to the high
cost.
“With low-income kids, if you do increase the fees, it is
a deterrent,” Phillips said. “Unfortunately, it in a
way sort of keeps the poor poor.”
But there is a positive way to look at the recent trends in
education costs.
“What we saw this year over last year was a slight
moderation in the rate of increase (of fees),” McDonough
said.
“This is not entirely good news, but at least we’ve
seen a slowing in the rate at public four-year and public two-year
(colleges and universities),” he added.
And UCLA may be one of the least expensive schools of its
class.
“It’s not as cheap as it used to be … (but)
it’s still one of the best values out there,” Olsen
said.