In a report titled “Undergraduate Access and Excellence at UC,” released Oct. 1, the University of California reported that the current freshman class enrolled for the 2010 term across all UC campuses contains the highest percentage of students from low-income families in UC history.
An analysis of admissions data revealed that students from low-income families comprise an estimated 39 percent of the freshman class, an 8 percent increase from 2008.
The report also highlighted an increased proportion of first-generation college students and students of African American, American Indian and Latino descent.
At UCLA, the proportion of low-income students saw a slight increase from 26.5 percent last year to an estimated 27 percent this year, said Vu Tran, director of Undergraduate Admissions and Relations With Schools.
The University studied the admissions data to assess whether recent budget cuts and fee increases were affecting the enrollment of low-income students, said Ricardo Vazquez, a UC spokesperson.
“One of the things that we value as a public institution is enrolling students from a diverse background, and that includes not only race and ethnicity, but also socioeconomic diversity,” Vazquez said.
The report showed that despite economic difficulties, socioeconomic diversity has risen across all UC campuses, which is made possible in part because of the university’s ability to keep itself accessible to students from all backgrounds through expanded financial aid programs.
With 33 percent of the revenue generated by the recent fee increases set aside to fund financial aid, the university has also raised the family income cap from $60,000 to $70,000 for student eligibility for the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan.
Students whose family incomes fall between $70,000 and $120,000 now qualify for grant assistance that covers at least half of the 2010-2011 fee increase, Vazquez said.
“These financial aid plans have been vital in allowing the university to maintain access for low- and middle-income students,” he said. “They’ve been critical to our mission to be open to all Californians.”