Possible tuition increases for the University of California and California State University in the upcoming year could be halted if a provision in the 2012-2013 state budget passes in the Legislature this week.
The provision, sponsored by Speaker of the Assembly John Perez (D-Los Angeles), is contingent on voter approval of the Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed tax measure, which would increase taxes on the wealthy as well as the sales tax.
If the tax measure is passed in the fall, the UC and CSU systems will each receive $125 million from the state budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year to make up for the lost tuition funds, said John Vigna, Perez’s press secretary.
If the voters pass the tax hike, the UC and CSU systems will be required to abandon all planned tuition increases for the upcoming year, in order to receive funding from the state, Vigna said.
“(Perez) has been very vocal (for) the accessibility and affordability to education,” Vigna said. “We want to make sure we don’t raise our fees on students.”
The possibility of freezing tuition increases for the UC system is a step in the right direction, said Lana Habib El-Farra, external vice president of the Undergraduate Students Association Council.
“It’s nice to know that the work we have been doing has not gone to waste and there are allies in the legislative community,” El-Farra said. She added that though the new funding provision could be beneficial for students, there are other factors in higher education ““ like interest rates on student loans ““ that also impact the affordability of higher education.
Compiled by Stephen Stewart, Bruin reporter.