The UC Board of Regents will consider the possibility of a 20.3 percent midyear tuition increase in the event Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed tax initiative fails in November, according to documents released for the regents’ bimonthly board meeting next week.
The tax initiative, which would increase the sales tax by a quarter of a cent and raise taxes on households that make $250,000 or more annually, is the crux of Brown’s budget for the fiscal year, which includes plans for higher education funding.
Under the budget, the University of California is allocated $125 million for 2013-2014, given that voters approve the tax hike in November and the university does not raise tuition for the upcoming year.
Any changes in tuition must be approved by the regents. The UC intends to recommend to the regents that tuition stay stable for the year, so as to accept the governor’s “so-called deal” at the board’s meeting scheduled for next week, said Dianne Klein, a UC spokeswoman.
The UC’s recommendation also includes information on measures that will become necessary if the tax initiative does not pass. The failure of the tax measure, on the ballot in November, would result in budget cuts of $250 million to the UC and CSU systems. These cuts would trigger a likely midyear double-digit tuition and fee increase. The UC has estimated this increase to be around 20.3 percent, Klein said, although funding from the increase will not be sufficient to cover the possible shortfall in funding.
The possible midyear increase would raise tuition fees from $12,192 currently to $14,670.
“No one wants to do this,” Klein said. “But (the recommendation) is in the interest of full disclosure ““ if you’re going to vote (on a tuition increase), you need to know the consequences either way.”
The consequence of a 20 percent tuition increase would be in tandem with other drastic measures, such as possible salary or program cuts, Klein said.
A 20 percent increase would be devastating for students, Jonathan Stein, the UC student regent, said in an email statement.
“Obviously every student, staff member, and faculty member in the UC should be voting yes on (the tax measure),” Stein said in the statement.
He added that the tax measure is currently only garnering a little more than majority support among voters.
“This thing could fail if we don’t work as hard as we can to pass it,” Stein said. “I’m optimistic that the regents will pass an endorsement (of the tax initiative) and we can put the full weight and resources of the University behind passing (it).”
Compiled by Katherine Hafner, Bruin senior staff.