Kunal Patel: Using ‘FAFSA position’ in admissions decisions is unfair

The mysterious mechanisms that kick into gear once a high school student submits his or her college application make it seem like even luck may have a part in the process. But for some schools, there is an additional criterion that students may not be aware of, which can influence whether they get in and […]

Eitan Arom: UCLA’s tobacco ban needs revision

It’s not often that a policy manages to be both heavy-handed and completely toothless, yet the tobacco ban instituted on campus in April deftly embodies that oxymoron. More than six months after an administrative policy declared UCLA a “tobacco-free environment,” we’re now in a position to pass judgment on the theory that banning tobacco outright […]

Ryan Nelson: Take initiative, research all options to pay off student loans

Taking out federal student loans is a lot like orderingfood at a fast-food establishment.It seems like a great option at the time, but very soon after you end up paying for your decision. But even after grace periods fade away and the impoverishing effects of student loans begin to kick in, there are concrete steps […]

Maia Ferdman: UCLA must include ethics in science curriculum

New professions in the hard sciences are developing every day. Modern technologies and research methods create both excitement and controversy – stem cell research, animal testing and human genetic engineering are only some of the contentious topics students may have to face upon entering the job market. Students enrolled in science and technology programs at […]

Natalie Delgadillo: New online audit form still leaves room for exploitation

The Undergraduate Students Association Council Contingency Programming Fund is the most applied-to student government fund on campus, and student groups draw from it to pay for everything from large-scale events to staff retreats. But some groups have also found ways to use the money for things it was not meant for, such as alcohol, said […]

Zoey Freedman: UC should provide undocumented graduate students a means to fund education

Undocumented students face challenges in gaining access to a variety of social services. The University of California has an obligation to make sure obtaining a UC education is not one of these challenges. Due to their lack of legal residency, and by extension lack of social security numbers, undocumented graduate students cannot be employed by […]

Katie Shepherd: UC should make exceptions to admissions rules for veterans

There are a lot of things I never got used to growing up in a military family. One of the only aspects of military life that I did learn to expect was its uncertainty: uncertainty in where I would be living in a year, uncertainty in when my father would be returning from overseas, uncertainty […]