A UC Student's Plea to the Legislature on Fee Increases and Cuts in Academic Preparation in Governor Schwarzenegger’s Revised Budget

Thousands of students, teachers, and families have voiced the need to stop these increases all together through a fee buyout that many legislators support. But instead, the Governor called for an increase, a tax on the middle and working class of our state. We can no longer allow Governor Schwarzenegger to pretend he is investing in the future of our state’s economy. Instead he is taking a gamble by poorly funding higher education and taxing over 200,000 students with another fee increase of almost $500 next year. With another 7-10% increase, UC students will be paying at least $7,493 in fees alone next year.

As the California budget process nears an end, UCSA will continue to pressure legislative leaders to uphold their commitment to the future of California. Many legislators have already vocally expressed their support for students but now it’s time for them, including Speaker Nunez, to take action. The Speaker and the budget conference committee are our last hope to ensure California’s students and families are provided with an accessible and affordable higher education.

In the Speaker’s response to the May Revision, he called the Governor’s budget “mean-spirited” and said that “at a time of record prosperity, it punishes low and middle-income families who are working hard and playing by the rules.” In addition to poor children, the elderly, blind and disabled, the Governor has chosen to stand by his attacks on public higher education in California, all the while pretending that he wants California to remain economically competitive.

We know the Speaker is a champion for those Californians who are constantly attacked by the Governor and California’s students and families need him to take action. We are urging Speaker Nunez to bring a proposal to the budget conference committee to prevent ANOTHER 7-10% fee increase at UC campuses and restore Academic Preparation Program funding to $33 million dollars. It is time for the legislature to address the UC access and affordability crisis and take a stand for the future of higher education.

Bill Shiebler is the president of the University of California Student Association and the UC Santa Barbara Associated Students External Vice President of Statewide Affairs. Mr. Shiebler is currently an undergraduate sociology major at UCSB.

The University of California Student Association is the official voice of over 200,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from the ten UC campuses. It is our mission to advocate on behalf of current and future students for the accessibility, affordability, and quality of the University of California system.