The UC Board of Regents voted unanimously in favor of a $60 undergraduate tuition decrease today during a meeting held at UC San Francisco. Total resident tuition will decrease to $12,570 starting Fall 2018.
The $60 rollback is the elimination of a temporary surcharge added Fall 2007 after the UC system lost two class-action lawsuits. After the UC system increased fees for professional students in 2003 despite their contracts stating there would be no increases, the UC system was made to pay $40 million in settlements. According to the July 19 meeting proposal, all of the losses from the lawsuits would be recovered by Fall 2018, so there is no longer a need for the fee.
The decrease is the first in nearly 20 years and comes after a one-time increase in state funding, which allowed the Regents to cancel a tuition hike previously approved in March.
“I want to recognize our students, alumni, faculty, staff, regents, and friends of the university for their tireless advocacy efforts on behalf of the UC [system],” said UC President Janet Napolitano at yesterday’s meeting. “Your voices were heard and your actions made a real difference in further securing [the] UC [system]’s financial future.”
The Regents also discussed developing a long-term budget plan by hopefully working with the incoming governor and legislature.
Associated Students of UC San Diego Vice President External Affairs Caroline Siegel-Singh and outgoing UC Student Association President Judith Gutierrez gave a presentation on student advocacy efforts calling for the administration to continue including students in budget development.
“It was student advocacy that shift[ed] the narrative towards supporting and funding the UC [system]. Without students, we would be looking into a very different state budget today,” said Gutierrez at the Regents Board meeting today.
Mo Al Elew is the Editor-in-Chief of The Triton. You can follow him @SoloMune.