Tuesday, September 13, 2011

UC Bugdet Cuts; IC Sadness

When many of our parents were in their teens, the average tuition for attending a UC was $800 per year. Now, as our state delves deeper into debt, we are pushing $12,000 per year. What changed? Inflation rates do not even begin to account for the raise in tuition cost. It seems that the raising tuition is a function of California's debt, and reluctance to feed higher education. In our time of financial uncertainty, the educational system is being given the short end of the stick. Does it not make sense that in times of joblessness and unskilled labor, we should be investing in our future workers? If we provide cheap upper level education, a more diversified working class can be established that will hoist the economy back on its feet.

2 comments:

Serena Tam said...

I agree with Jacob. I think it's somewhat ridiculous that the state neglects to put higher education as one of its main priorities. What's even more ridiculous is how the UC Board of Regents (the people who have control over UC budgets) is handling this issue. Amidst tuition increases, they have approved of pay raises to executives in the last few years even when they aware of looming tuition increases. Their reasoning was that some executives have assumed new duties. I think that that's fairly reasonable, but only to an extent. Just yesterday, the regents approved incentive awards and pay raises for 8 executives; the biggest bonus awarded was worth $745,000. Just think of how much they could have done for students with half of that money.

Kimi Hashizume said...

I am in complete agreement with Jacob and Serena. Budget cuts have obviously had a major impact on the rising tuition levels, and I definitely think something needs to be done about this. We need good education in this time, to invest in our future workers. Additionally, I think that another issue arises with the budget cuts, based on the fact that many lower-class families won't be able to afford to send their children to college even with financial aid, and every child deserves to have an equal education in order to have an equal chance at getting a good job.