University fees climb

EDITOR's NOTE: This article originally published in The Advocate on Aug. 24, 2011. To view original post, visit AccentAdvocate.com.

By Brett Abel, brettsabel@gmail.com

For the first time in California's history, public four-year universities will receive more money from student tuition and fees than from the state's general fund allocations for the 2011-12 year.

Student fee increases of about 10 percent, approved by both the University of California and CSU systems, and similar reductions in allocations from the Governor's Office will result in a $250 million difference of money from students than the state, a UC spokesman said.

Ricardo Vazquez, of the UC Office of the President, said revenue from student tuition and fees for the upcoming year are expected to reach $2.75 billion while state expenditures will not exceed $2.5 billion.

In the last four years, state funding for the UC system has dropped more than 27 percent, Vazquez said. From $3.25 billion allocated in 2007-08, UC funding dropped to $2.37 billion for 2011-12.

"The problem with numbers is they are sort of a snapshot in time," he said. "In general, student fees are projected to be more than (allocated from state general fund), being higher revenue than $2.37 billion."

Students, in addition to those who crunch these numbers professionally, have noticed the rise in cost.

"It's bullshit," Contra Costa College English major Francis Lopez said. "You're trying to better yourself, especially in this area, and it's hard enough to go to college and they raise prices.

"Most of my friends had to go to work to help their family and they raise tuition on top and it shoots a lot of people's dreams down," he said. "It's just hard for most people to just go to school."

Similarly, CSU will receive nearly equal funding from students and the state this academic year, down since 1998-99 when the state allocated two-thirds of the CSU's funding.

"The state is funding education with half the dollar amount, half of what is needed coming from tuition," CSU media relations specialist Erik Fallis said.

According to figures from the CSU, the state spent $10,930 per student in 1998-99 and the revenue from student fees was $2,572. In 2011-12, the state will spend $6,454 per student and tuition and fees will average $5,517.

"During tuition increases the implication is the driver is the cost and expenditures and that money for education is not spent in an efficient way," Fallis said. "(These numbers) counter that argument."

"The driver of tuition increases is not expenditures," he said. "It is the loss of state support."

State allocations continue to drop as Gov. Jerry Brown cut $650 million from his first general fund budget as governor (during this term) to both the UC and CSU systems with a potential mid-year "trigger" cut of another $100 million to each as well if the state does not reach a goal of $4 billion in tax revenue.

"The governor has been very vocal for higher education," Brown's spokesperson Elizabeth Ashford said.

"(Brown) had a $26 billion deficit when he came in and he ran on and was elected to fix the budget," she said.

CSU tuition and fees were increased twice for the 2011-12 year by 10 and 12 percent, respectively, resulting in a 23 percent total increase in fees from 2010-11, costing students $5,472 for the 2011-12 year. UC regents also approved a 9.6 percent tuition increase, costing students an average $13,000 per year to attend.

The increases in tuition, Fallis said, are an attempt to ease the three-quarter-billion dollars in cuts the CSUs could face in 2011-12.

"Of the $650 million, $400 million in cuts are offset by reductions and spending," he said. The other $250 million is being made up in tuition and fee increases.

To compound their problems, UC and CSU enrollment continues to rise and students are being served without funding.

The CSUs will also have to serve 10,000 fewer students as a result of the reductions, which could hurt more as a result of the possible trigger cut.

This cut would come mid-year and do twice the damage, Fallis said.

Instead of a $50 million cut per semester, he said, $100 million cut at the same time would double the impact. The cut will affect students accepted in the spring semester, mostly transfer students, and does not leave a lot of leeway for enrollment ahead of time.

"Cuts in December impact January," he said. "It makes it all that much more complicated."